Sinner
by xkaze
Summary: You'd think that after centuries of living and finally becoming insane, Cloud would know exactly what to do after being flung to a near happy alternate universe. Finding a way to kill himself was a rather 'out-there' decision, but picking his own counterpart to do the deed would prove to be a bit too rash, even for this unhinged blonde. AU, AR.
1. Prologue: Descent

**Sinner**

* * *

Prologue: Descent

What makes a madman?

Maybe the decomposition of their mind, or more than a few environmental factors? Or perhaps an event that is so dire, so unforgettable that it snaps the conscience so heartlessly? An unforeseeable event, consisting of the deaths of friends and family, or even the schizophrenia that haunts one's dreams at night, twisting even the most mundane fantasies into agonising nightmares?

Or maybe, just maybe, there is no one left on the Planet. No one else to initiate human contact, no one else to comfort a lonely soul as they stared blankly at the ruins of a church that once held cherished memories.

Perhaps it was all of these things and more in Cloud Strife's case.

It built up slowly; a subtle poison that Cloud had noticed, yet dismissed for a spontaneous ache in the chest. Vincent noticed, and the ever enigmatic gunman cast a cryptic message the blonde' way, gazing at the sudden withdrawal of insanity's tendrils inside those blue eyes as they turned to the former Turk.

"_Be careful not to fall off the edge, however tempting it may be."_ Vincent murmured, and swept away. It was all he could do, really, with ending the swordsman life coming up to a close second. Cloud was powerful, and insanity already had him in a vice. But Vincent believed in the good he had in him; the blonde knew his limits. The gunman had faith that Cloud wouldn't tip over the edge.

Yet he did not notice the slightest furrow of blonde eyebrows as blue eyes trained on the door he just left through. It was more of the matter of Cloud actually absorbing the advice rather than him actually following it.

_And maybe that was the only time we could have stopped his descent._

The thought ran regretfully through Vincent's mind even as he succumbed to the mortal wound inflicted by First Tsurugi.

* * *

It wasn't everyday Cloud Strife had the strength to even attempt trying to string a thought together, though it was more of the fact that he bothered at all trying to make sense of anything that was rare.

A swirling void of voices always accompanied him. Sometimes, he couldn't tell whether the person speaking was himself, Jenova or even the Planet.

Of course, how could the Planet talk to him? He was no Cetra, and he smiled slightly at the thought of the brunette Ancient he'd known. She'd been a gentle force, yet powerful all the same. Aeris had always communicated to him from the Lifestream, yet nowadays he couldn't hear her voice anymore.

It occurred to him then that maybe she couldn't bear to speak with him anymore. She said that there had been nothing to forgive, though even that weighed heavily on his conscience. Was she lying? Had she simply said that to make him feel better?

It was a sickening hollowness, not being able to feel her presence anymore; even the echoes of Zack's noogies couldn't be recalled.

He stopped counting the days after that.

* * *

He hated it. The fact that he had to keep on living, to keep on going for damn near eternity with a body that couldn't wither away, that couldn't even get the tiniest _scratch_.

Aeris had told him – his ascension to a human WEAPON. The Planet had willed it, she'd said with regretful tears in her eyes – and that was the last time he had heard her voice at all.

The news struck him like a fatal blow. After everything, he couldn't even rest? He couldn't even find peace, but had to keep fighting and fighting just because of the _Planet_?

It led to new thoughts, new desires that he had never dreamed of having – desires that the old him would have shrunk away from in disgust.

Unable to fall into oblivion, unable to reunite with his friends in the Lifestream, unable to even entertain the comfort of being able to get hurt – the Planet should have known. He'd been through too many horrors, had felt obligated to fight so many times, had chosen to battle a weary war for the sake of his friends – surely he would have the just reward of being able to _die_.

In a bout of rationality, a manner of judgment that now rarely came to him, he wondered if that had been the ultimate trigger. That, along with the decreasing number of people he could truly call family was what the insanity had gotten a grip on.

_What was it that Vincent had said? Don't fall off the edge?_

_Maybe,_ Cloud pondered, making him chuckle dryly to himself, _there was never an edge to begin with_.

* * *

It didn't really register at first, the familiar vestiges of towns he rode through on Fenrir. Maybe not familiar at all, yet the eventual realisation came to him. Haunting, as it were, the images of blackened towns he had once set foot in, the darkened sea with wisps of scarlet red twining through its depths, and the now barren landscape.

He remembered fighting for them, the villagers who both scorned and hailed him; the blonde wasn't stupid enough to think they all had glorified views of him. He'd seen the veiled fear, bordering on hatred in their eyes, and occasionally wondered why he was trying to save them at all.

Tifa and the others, really, were the ones who he lived for; his true friends – his family.

So when they started going one by one, youth dwindling away in front of his immortal form, the brink came closer.

To lose all semblance of reality or reason... it was tempting to the blonde, to say the least. But he held on, eventually growing distant from his family's grandchildren and the generations after that. They held no love for him now, his image just a myth passing from one mouth to another.

After that, he just wandered. He sometimes had blank moments in his memories. He'd be walking along the shore beside what used to be called Wutai, only to be greeted with the white terrain of the Icicle Area after a mere blink.

But it wasn't like his whole awareness gone; no, he was sluggishly aware, ever so buried beneath _something_ inside his own mind that he felt like a _puppet_. It bothered him more than ever; the fact that he was being controlled like when Sephiroth had a strong grasp on the movements of his body. He hated the helpless feeling, yet when compared to the recent episodes, it wasn't entirely the same.

With Sephiroth, he couldn't do anything; he couldn't even begin to control his own movements, and the lack of any kind of resistance always left him feeling useless. But when he began having those holes in his memories, awareness dribbled into his limbs, ever so slowly – he could almost remember doing it, recognising colours at the most. The only colour that seemed to dominate was a fiery red, both out of control and in trailing rivers.

He could have gained control. He could have fought the _presence _that took over his mind like a disease - yet the high that was introduced to him, a seemingly intoxicated phase that left him drowsy as he regained awareness, was addicting.

Why even bother to think anymore when he could just go with that single-minded presence?

Besides, it wasn't like he was disturbed by the images of First Tsurugi impaling woman, man and child as much as when he'd taken his blade to the chest of a certain red-cloaked friend.

...Why had he done that again?

But the thought was gone as the madness overtook him again.

* * *

Cloud hadn't known. He wasn't aware how much he had deluded himself so. He had believed he became a hermit, lazily trekking across recently formed deserts when Fenrir's engine had finally given up.

But the true folly, he realised, was when he stumbled upon a ruin he'd wrought himself, and believed it to just be a sign of how many years he had been absent.

The ruins had once been called Edge, and only ten years had passed.

Idly, Cloud wondered how he had missed the permanent stench of ash and blood clinging to his skin.

* * *

Despite everything, the church still remained.

He approached it now, a weary soul eager to rest. It wasn't like he believed Aeris' spirit would be there, nor did he think there would be any comfort brought to him in this place. It was merely a vessel now, for the memories he wanted to relive and avoid simultaneously.

Cloud's vision flashed, and like a haunting lullaby, there Aeris was, kneeling among the flowers and tending to them with an almost motherly caress. Her expression was shadowed by the veil of her hair, and his breath caught as she began to look up-

Tifa was now there, lying haphazardly across the flora. He remembered this, stumbling into this exact scene and fearing for her life-

Gone.

He blinked at the shimmering pool, an immortal being in and of itself - perhaps the only thing part of the Planet that tethered him to his past bonds.

_WEAPON_! Something hissed at him from behind him, or perhaps even from within his own mind; he couldn't begin to pinpoint the location as he was bombarded with what could only be described as _memories_.

_My Cloud... sweet, sweet-_

_STOP. WEAPON._

_Did you really-?_

_Maybe if we took just one little _fragment_-!_

_Do you wish for comfort?_

_WEAPONs – first human WEAPON – our eternal WEAPON-!_

_Did you really think-?_

Cloud realised, vaguely, that his knees had buckled. Water clogged his airways, and it took a sluggish second to realise he had fallen into the glistening lake.

His body thrashed, a futile effort to ward off the splitting pain roaring through his skull. No coherent thought could even begin to form, not when those _voices_ ripped through and tore them to shreds.

_Sssss, little Cloud-!_

_Cloud, Cloud, how many times must you _wander?

_Did you really think that you could-?_

_No mercy, my WEAPON..._

_I'll take care of you, watch over you like you deserve..._

_Come closer-_

_Don't you-?_

_Did you really think..._

His eyes flashed open, and everything suddenly went still.

Vivid green eyes with cat-like pupils flashed.

_...that you could _escape_?_

With a quiet shudder, he lost consciousness, the beings within him finally ebbing away.

Yet, only one stayed – a soft, feminine hand, running gently through his blonde locks.

"Oh, _Cloud_..."

* * *

**A/N: L****eave a review if you will.**


	2. Perception

**Sinner**

* * *

Chapter One: Perception

What was insanity, really?

Was it the absence of good judgement?

Was it merely a monkey bar called 'psychosis' halting the everyday processes of a healthy mind?

Was it an extreme dementia and foolishness that held the conscious in a vice-like grip?

Cloud didn't want to know.

After all, there would likely be a definition of insanity that would fit his own state perfectly – and Cloud wasn't about to acknowledge his own impairment.

No, the only thing he would acknowledge in its fullness was to reunite with his loved ones.

And, really, the only way to do that was to die.

Yet how exactly would he do this?

* * *

Aeris loved to spend her time in the church.

It had a soothing atmosphere, and the delicate beauty of the flowers always took her breath away. Even the half collapsed roof didn't mar the magnificence of the place – the sunlight was more than enough to make up for it.

It shone now on the freshly watered flora, giving it a glimmering sheen. Kneeling amongst them, she dropped her chin to her chest, listening to the murmurings of the Planet. It was a relaxing past time for her, especially when she was waiting for her boyfriend.

She smiled softly, eyes falling shut. Zack was so good to her, and she was glad he had not been injured fatally on the more dangerous missions he had been sent on. She was falling more in love with him with every second she spent in his company. She only hoped he thought the same of her.

Clasping her hands together, she began to listen to the Lifestream, searching for a voice she hadn;t heard in a long time.

"Mother!" She chanted under her breath, and beamed when she heard an answering hum. "I hope you are well."

There was a pause in the air as she listened to her mother's gentle answer, nodding slightly and saying lightly, "No, mother, Zack's been kind to-"

_WEAPON_.

Aeris' eyes flew open, gasping as a sharp pain pierced her back and right through her. She buckled, her forehead touching the soft soil, hands clutching at the fabric covering her abdomen.

It felt like, oddly enough, that a sword had run her through from behind.

She straightened slowly, sighing in relief as she noticed the pain was slowly ebbing away. Glancing down at her stomach, she frowned at the absence of any kind of wound.

_What...? _She began to wonder, before stifling yet another gasp as she caught sight of something – or rather, some_one_.

In front of her lay a man with spiky blonde hair – hair that reminded her of someone she knew though she couldn't exactly remember under the fast beating of her heart – and a large sword strapped to his back. The man's features were worn and haggard, yet still had a youthful sheen to them. He wore clothes similar to that of a SOLDIER First Class, though she hadn't heard of anyone being inducted into it. The only four and the four who stayed were Sephiroth, Genesis, Angeal and Zack.

Edging back slightly, she couldn't understand why she felt a sudden fear overtaking her heart, along with a certain sorrow she hadn't felt in a long time.

Aeris breathed slowly, trying to get her heart to calm down. She hadn't been injured yet, and the man was unconscious either way. Cautiously, she stood, shuffling over to the man with apprehension.

He lay comatose in the flowers, making his normally pallid skin almost glow. The Ancient frowned – the blonde looked familiar, almost like...

Her hand reached out, trembling slightly as they got closer inch by inch to his right cheek.

And, as soon as the tip of her index finger made contact with his surprisingly delicate skin, her mind was flooded.

* * *

Cloud was awoken with a sharp, mental lash. He recoiled, rolling to his feet and backed away instantly, eyes still slightly blurry as he wielded his sword in a flash.

Breathing fast, he attempted to identify the place, and inhaled sharply upon recognising it – and the now unconscious person in front of him.

He took a step back, struggling to comprehend the situation.

"You're supposed to be dead." He murmured, his knuckles turning deadly white as they tightened on the hilt of First Tsurugi. This wasn't right at all.

He cast wild eyes over the place yet again, noting how it wasn't as ruined as it was supposed to be, yet the main feature was what threw him. The small lake – created by the very person now lying _healthybreathingALIVE_ amongst the flowers – was gone. It didn't seem possible that anyone had drained it, or even started to repair the church – especially if there were no one around to begin with.

So why...?

His eyes shot up as the doors of the church swung open. What happened next seemed like déjà vu.

Firstly, the familiar black hair and SOLDIER First Class uniform shocked the blonde, to say to say the least. He recovered quickly; still certain there was something suspicious going on because there was _no way_ those two could be alive. That didn't stop his chest aching at the sight of these two, even if they were apparitions of merely his imagination because this situation was entirely _impossible_.

Secondly, he was vaguely reminiscent of this scene. He remembered walking into the church, with his heart skipping a beat at seeing an unconscious Tifa lying in the grass. Granted, Loz had not been there, yet Cloud did not doubt the narrowing of Zack's eyes and the reaching for his sword meant he considered Cloud the one to fell Aeris.

_And perhaps I did,_ he mused, thinking back on the mental backlash he'd felt as he had woken up. He recalled an indistinct thump, presumably Aeris falling to the ground.

Nonetheless, maybe this whole situation was real. That maybe he wasn't dreaming after all.

The split second that Zack began to kick up dirt and start to dash at Cloud with a furious battle cry, the world started to trickle.

Cloud felt the air around him cease to move, the lungs in the two people with him stop moving, and the hearts in them halted in their beating. Perhaps unconsciously, he had cast an almost godly Haste on himself, something that would have disturbed him in the past, but was now unperturbed by.

But, nevertheless, it gave him time to think.

* * *

All Zack wanted was a nice, uninterrupted day to spend with his girlfriend – especially after such a boring and long mission.

He'd planned it all out very meticulously as well – first, spend a romantic dinner together in a fancy restaurant above plate; second, get some ice cream; three, spend a few hours searching for lost puppies (because Planet knows how much Aeris loved to take them home, even if they did run away the day after); four, try some of Costa Del Sol's cocktails from a shop that had opened up nearby; and five, maybe bother his favourite colleagues with a few loud jaunty tunes which were bound to be unbearable after a few drinks.

The fact that this plan got trashed by some blonde had Zack fired up in a hurry – especially with the sight of his girlfriend lying unconscious at his feet.

Justified in his outrage, he charged immediately, noting in the back of his mind what the other guy wore, but dismissed that immediately as he brought in his sword of a high blow. Alarm grew as the blonde's own sword rapidly came up to parry effortlessly – yet the real alarm came from the realisation that his opponent's breathing was fast.

Too fast.

When Zack considered it, he was, at first, baffled. Surely the guy wasn't tired already? No, those weren't fast pants of fatigue – Zack recognised the signs of Haste when he saw it. It was decidedly unbelievable, considering how damn _fast_ the guy was at clashing with him; wasn't a normally cast Haste usually half that speed? Not even a mastered Time Materia produced such an advanced Haste!

Zack gritted his teeth as his attack was blocked again, and aimed a sharp kick at the blonde's shins. His adversary twisted out of the way, manoeuvring his sword out of the lock. It was daunting to see that he didn't seem to be out of breath at all, and Zack was frustrated that he himself was tiring so quickly and only seemed to just be able to keep up!

Yet something kept on bothering the dark-haired SOLDIER at the back of his mind. The hair, the eyes, even the slender build...

But, no, it couldn't be. It was ridiculous, even _impossible_, and Zack wasn't about to lose just because this guy _looked_ like _him_.

Their swords clashed, and as sparks flashed in between them, Zack jumped back, allowing space between them once again.

Running a mental scan over himself, Zack was relieved that he hadn't received any injuries. He was _not_ planning to die anytime soon, though perhaps the upward quirk of his opponent's lips meant that he wanted otherwise.

"Going to kill me, are you?" The words slid out of the other guy's mouth smoothly, a dark edge to his tone as he shifted his stance slightly. "Better do it before I harm your girlfriend here."

Zack's eyes widened as the blonde's sword started to swing towards Aeris' prone form before he could even begin to process the movement. He cursed inwardly, realising he should have gotten her out of harm's way first.

He dove forward, desperate for her not to get hurt. He didn't want to lose anyone else, especially her! He quickly went through the moves he could do to disarm the falling blade. He couldn't risk blocking with his sword – no, considering how much power was normally behind his attacks, then Zack couldn't even begin to knock away the sword at all with his own, and he would be damned if his own sword ever pierced Aeris. Neither could he try and kick the offending blade away – it would take up too much time to get enough strength into his kick to become effective and the sword was already so damn _close_-!

He opted for a possibly dangerous choice – but only to himself. He put in an extra burst of speed, bodily tackling the guy, and sliding a hand under the blade to throw it off course. He felt it slicing his flesh deeply, but he didn't care as long as it wasn't threatening Aeris' life.

He felt a tremor of surprise go through the other man, but pushed on, eager to put distance between him and the brunette.

"I won't let you hurt her!" He hissed through his teeth.

Suddenly, they were falling, and Zack caught the blonde's feet stumbling over a piece of wood protruding from the soil. He fell heavily on top of him, and immediately grabbed the scruff of the guy's collar as he straddled him.

He raised his fist, very badly wanting to punch the blonde but held back. "What do you want?! Why did you hurt her?!" He asked sharply, and his lip curled angrily upon seeing the smirking face gazing undaunted up at him.

This time, he did act on his desire; his fist flew down, creating a satisfying thump as it connected with the blonde's cheek.

"Who are you?" He demanded. Zack hadn't been threatened on a personal level in a long time, and the fact that this guy looked so much like _him_ made the black-haired swordsman made his insecurities and feelings even worse. Distantly, he was mentally frowning on the fact that the blonde didn't even look _bruised_ by his punch – and didn't even give any indication that Zack had punched him at all.

The next second made Zack feel taken aback; a glaze overtook those vivid blue eyes, and an unsettling smile dancing across the lips made him all the more uncomfortable.

"Haha! Oh, _Zack_. Don't you remember me at all?" The tone was a disgusting croon, and the black-haired man's eyes widened in pure shock.

"You aren't him," he croaked, his hand lowering slowly, "you can't be! You _died_, for Planet's sake! You fucking... you _died_ and I couldn't..." Zack choked, tears brimming his eyelids. A weary ache pulsed in his chest, a wound throbbing afresh as a reminder of what had occurred five years ago.

But, behind those sickly insane eyes and twisted smile, Zack could recognise the fellow country boy he had considered his best friend.

"I couldn't _save_ you... Cloud..."

* * *

**A/N: L****eave a review if you please.**


	3. Vendetta

**Sinner**

* * *

Chapter Two: Vendetta

It was a dangerous combination, insanity and power.

Cloud wouldn't acknowledge it, but he was too powerful for his own good. He had trained to reach the level of power he was at now, and his pride wasn't about to let him be felled by something that was weaker than him.

No, the only way he would accept dying was to be beaten – and while he was at his own full power.

Was it uncharacteristic of him? Sure, but Tifa, upon her dying breath, made him promise yet another thing to her.

And so suicide was not an option.

_Besides_, Cloud smiled faintly, _this way is more amusing._

But who would fight him at their full strength? He knew no enemies who were more powerful than him, and he knew no friends who were more powerful _and_ were willing to kill him.

So, really, the only option left was to make those friends _into_ his enemies.

And he would make them hate him.

Yet there was just one thing he hadn't accounted for...

* * *

Aeris saw more things than she bargained for.

There was knowledge of this 'other world' just beyond her reach. It was just there, and she knew that if she acquired it, then maybe everything would become alright once again.

She could feel it on the edges of her conscience; Zack's distress and the depth of how far _Cloud_ had gone.

But this _Cloud_...

She sensed the shard of understanding, and sought after it even as it began to drift away from her.

Within this maze of knowledge and memories, she had to be careful. Everything had to be navigated without error, or else she would have failed in trying to piece the truth together.

_"What is the truth?_"

Aeris stopped and looked up, seeing a young boy, no older than eleven or ten, floating above her with no care about where he was heading. The blonde hair was familiar, and she was certain he had spoken.

_"A Planet without direction..."_

The boy's thoughts whispered into her mind, and she frowned.

Whatever was happening, she had to find out – and fast.

But where could she start? Mentally, she began gently sifting through each shard, one by one, trying to find one relevant to this person who claimed he was _Cloud_. Aeris knew he was Cloud... no, she knew he was _a_ Cloud, but not _their_ Cloud. At least, that's what she thought.

She felt a thread of thought pass her, and strained to catch the wisps that it left behind briefly.

_Forced away from my own _home_..._

Immediately, Aeris began to follow it.

* * *

_So the Cloud of this reality has died... _the blonde mused, and irritation crawled across his mind; _a pity_. He would have looked forward to a clash between him and his alternate self. It made sense: he really _was _the only opponent for himself; he had long surpassed Sephiroth the moment he had beat him.

Annoyed, he kicked Zack off of him, ignoring the cry of surprise from the SOLDIER, and stood, holstering First Tsurugi onto his back once again. It wasn't possible. He had a feeling that this world's Cloud was still out there somewhere, but he wasn't entirely sure.

Nonetheless, even if it was a feeling, he was acting on it.

He turned to Zack as the black-haired man was getting up. His expression melted into apathy as he regarded the confused features of his former best friend - he couldn't think of him as his best friend anymore – not after everything he had been through. Besides, it wasn't like he _could_ connect with Zack anymore, especially since he didn't belong to this world.

He'd gotten over Aeris' and Zack's deaths, and he wasn't going to get himself reattached once again.

Vaguely, he noticed Zack shake his head abruptly and pull away from his conflicted staring at Cloud, and instead dashed to Aeris, hoisting her up into his arms as checking for any wounds in a panic. Cloud didn't pay this much thought, though he still kept a wary eye on the black-haired man. Just because the blonde was a friend to him, didn't mean Zack was going to forgive him for seemingly hurting his girlfriend.

Satisfied that Zack didn't seem to be eager to run him through with his sword in a hurry, he turned his thoughts inward once again.

It was perplexing, Cloud was sure, his sudden mood swings. He wasn't certain he was entirely himself at all.

_Did you think you ever were-?_

Cloud shook his head; memories were such a flimsy thing – it was a wonder anyone trusted them at all.

_Yet you have holes in them yourself, now don't you?_

Of course, everyone had holes in their memories. His own were extremely fragmented, considering the amount of trauma he had been through, and especially the self-induced partial amnesia.

He shook his head, annoyed with himself. He worried too much – hadn't he already gotten past that stage? Or maybe he had just forgotten how to worry?

_You're really slipping, aren't you, Cloud?_

But hadn't he already...?

"... Cloud?"

* * *

As much as Zack was overjoyed to see the blonde alive and healthy, that didn't dismiss the fact that he'd been about to _kill_ his _girlfriend_.

The rage he'd felt before came back, though moderately tempered upon knowing who the assaulter had been. Now he felt a sense of what could only be identified as _betrayal_, and Zack honestly wasn't sure what to think about the whole situation.

"What was that all about, Cloud? Why..." Zack nodded helplessly to the prone form in his arms. He could sense that Cloud had changed – it was pretty damn obvious he had changed. But Zack didn't want to believe Cloud was the bad guy. This was the kid who worshipped Sephiroth back then, for Planet's sake! Well, after the third mission they had went on together, that hero worship began to fade, which Zack had found to be odd, but still...

But Cloud gave a shrug of dismissal, and turned away again, not bothering to grace Zack with words.

That stung. Zack bit back angry words. It was obvious: Cloud must blame Zack for leaving him. He'd _left_ him to die, after all. It would be weird if the blonde _didn't_ blame Zack for his actions back then.

"I suppose you hate me then." Zack muttered, loud enough for Cloud to hear. The blonde's head turned partially his way, and that was only indication that he was listening.

"Look, I'm... I can't apologise enough for what I did back then. I... but I thought you were dead and Sephiroth..." Zack shook his head, slumping his shoulders in defeat. "It's my own fault for leaving you there in that reactor..." He frowned at Cloud's reaction as he turned his head towards Zack so fast he could have gotten whiplash.

The blonde's expression was unreadable, but Zack ploughed on, "Still, you attacked her! You even _knew_ she was my girlfriend! It's fine if you want revenge on me, I deserve it. But I swear if you try and get it through her..."

"Which reactor was it?" Cloud interrupted suddenly, his blue eyes turning intense.

Zack gritted his teeth; just what the heck was the matter with him? Surely he would know... unless, Cloud had some sort of amnesia.

"Nibelheim... you were there, Cloud. Don't you remember?" He answered carefully; the blonde didn't look surprised, but neither did he offer up any explanation. Then maybe he didn't forget?

"Hojo. What happened to him?" Cloud's face was still expressionless, and Zack's frustration heightened. Where exactly was he getting at?

"He retired two weeks after you... after the incident. A large chunk of ShinRa's money stash went with him, or so says the rumours." Zack's eyes flickered down to Aeris before looking back into Cloud's eyes. "Look, we thought he was suspicious. I tried to track him down, and maybe get some answers about you; but really, what would have been the connection? Hojo was nowhere near Nibelheim when it happened, even if we all know he is sick enough to pretend someone is dead-" His breath caught, a horrifying thought entering his mind.

"You... you weren't caught by him, were you?" He asked lowly, desperately searching Cloud's eyes for the negative.

The blonde paused, opening his mouth to reply-

And what he said was the last thing Zack had expected.

* * *

Cloud hadn't noticed the feeling before.

It was right on the edges of his consciousness, a minor thing that he had dismissed vaguely, but now that he actually paid attention, it wasn't minor at all.

He couldn't recognise the emotion: it felt alien, it felt... no, he couldn't describe it. Perhaps the closest word to it was _wholeness_. It was weird, but it didn't feel threatening. Cloud stowed it away in the back of his mind. He had other matters more important than something that was only small.

His attention shifted regularly, and he almost missed the more essential things Zack had said. It was an annoying perk, one that came from living too long, most likely.

"Hojo has a secret lab in Nibelheim."

Admittedly, his delivery was rather blunt, but Zack got the idea. The black-haired SOLDIER drew back, shock flitting across his features.

"B-but that would mean-!" He stammered out, realisation showing in his eyes. Whatever he thought of was interrupted by a dramatic recital of something Cloud had seen only once in his whole lifetime. Really, it was a miracle he noticed that line at all.

"_'My friends, the fates are cruel-'_ Agh!" Cloud's head jerked up towards the entrance, and he cursed inwardly.

Genesis stood there, rubbing his head as he glared in annoyance at the silver-haired man behind him, who was holding up a fist. Aggravation was apparent in his features, but his unreadable green eyes were focused solely on Cloud.

"I told you I found that annoying." Sephiroth drawled, his words directed at Genesis; "didn't you say you were going to stop that crap?"

"Tch, again, you have no taste for the fine arts of literature." The red-haired man scowled, but dismissed it as he turned to regard Zack, who was now looking back at them in surprise.

"Angeal's puppy again, I wonder what trouble you've gotten yourself into this time?" He said mildly, his eyes trailing over to the blonde and sizing him up.

"Genesis! Seph!" Zack said, confused, "Why...?"

"Angeal told us he figured you would come around by the office wildly intoxicated at around this point in time." Sephiroth explained, and Cloud's eyes narrowed in alarm as his hand drifted down to favour the hilt of his sword. "So when you didn't turn up we had to search for you. Angeal was _quite_ insistent that you would, before he left for his mission."

Zack's face fell, though a smile tugged at his lips. "I'm sure my mentor has more faith in me than that." He whined.

"He doesn't." Both Sephiroth and Genesis said immediately. Zack pouted, but his expression quickly turned serious.

He stood, shifting Aeris' prone form to hold her comfortably in his arms. Striding over to them, he asked quietly, "could you take her to the infirmary?"

Genesis frowned, looking at Zack again, and asked gruffly, "Look, kid, why don't _you_ take her so Sephiroth and I can take care of this guy."

Zack immediately shook his head. "Don't worry, I know him. He won't kill me... at least, I think he won't." He cast a nervous glance back at the blonde.

For the entire time, Cloud had stood patiently, not moving a muscle. He knew that if he began to move even a fraction, the two newcomers would instantly attack.

_Sephiroth..._

Cloud's eyes held the other man's stare steadily. Their glaring contest didn't go unnoticed, but no one said anything on it. The blonde had mixed feelings on the silver-haired man, but then again, he'd managed to kill the guy three times. If anything, he was only wondering whether _this_ Sephiroth was at his level, or, hopefully, even higher.

_So why don't you try it?_

Cloud hefted his sword, laying it casually on his shoulder as he regarded the three men. If they couldn't beat him and kill them... well, he'd have to look for the 'alternative'.

"I can't promise that." He said softly.

"Zack, get out of here." Genesis snapped, drawing out Rapier. Sephiroth unsheathed Masamune, his stance shifting into a hostile one.

"But..." Zack turned tortured eyes to Cloud, and the blonde felt his breath hitch. Cloud swept away the guilt he felt, irritated that the emotion even affected him. This wasn't _his _Zack, and he doubted that _his_ Zack would still _consider_ him a good best friend.

No, Cloud had committed too many sins. He didn't _deserve_ friends after all he had done.

And especially considering what he was about to do.

"Let's go." He uttered in a conversational tone, and with his sword raised, he charged at them.

* * *

**A/N: L****eave a review if you please.**


	4. Beginnings

**Sinner**

* * *

Chapter Three: Beginnings

How much did insanity change a mind?

So much could be twisted, so much could be _tainted_. Everything can be changed, from the inner thoughts to outer reactions. Even moods were susceptible, some more than others.

Cloud knew he was no exception, but then, when did he ever admit to being insane? He couldn't define himself; he couldn't pinpoint his true mood, or even begin to emphasize with others on a deeper level anymore. No, it was more like he couldn't _care_ enough to try and know their real feelings.

It would have bothered him, but his mind was so fragmented that he was anything _but_ interested.

Moodswings aside, Cloud wondered when it would end.

_Not ever, Cloud_.

* * *

Aeris could see one clear thing in Cloud's mind.

Everything; every molecule, every thought, every whimsical fantasy wrapped around what _family _was to Cloud. She saw numerous people, and felt confused but honoured as her face was featured among them. Zack was a given, but people she had never seen before were present, yet she felt a sort of familiarity around them.

But the most dominant image was a woman with black hair.

She was pretty, Aeris acknowledged, but she also wondered just how much Cloud treasured her. _She must be his girlfriend,_ Aeris smiled at that. However, a sobering thought occurred to her.

_They must be all gone,_ she mused, the sorrow overtook her again, making her heart ache. The disjointed _whole_ that was his mind, the confused thoughts and goals... the only thing that was clearly stable was this _centre_, where the people that Cloud cherished most dwelled.

"_Tifa..."_

Aeris looked up, surprised to see a faintly smiling Cloud. It wasn't as twisted as she'd sensed, but more carefree, more _genuine_.

"_Tifa..._"

The image of the black-haired woman looked both amused and reprimanding as she turned to look at the apparition of Cloud.

"_Didn't you promise me, Cloud...?"_

Cloud didn't answer, but that was all Aeris needed to hear.

The only thing, it seemed, that would at least put Cloud's mind at peace was this woman.

Now all she had to do was find out what WEAPON was exactly. Never had the Planet told her of anything relating to WEAPON. The moment the Planet had practically _screamed_ the word into her mind, she had a strong curiosity as to what it was, though she'd been putting it off until now.

As if summoned by her need, she felt a shard pass her, one that immediately caught her interest.

_Human WEAPON._

And she followed it.

* * *

They were tough, Cloud would give them that.

Once the battle had began, all three of them tested the waters at first, judging each other's strengths and weaknesses – if they had any – and more importantly their level of skill in fighting. Cloud, on his end, could tell right away they wouldn't be a serious threat to his life. Sure, they'd be able to land a few fatal blows on him, but actually killing him and making sure he never regenerated was another thing altogether.

_If Angeal was here..._, Cloud gave a wistful smile. Now that, he was sure, would be an intriguing challenge.

As Cloud traded blows with his two opponents, he had to admire their teamwork. It was obvious, by the fluidity of how well they complimented each other's attacks that they had trained together many times. They were beating him slowly, making him take a step back every few seconds or so.

But the important factor here was that Cloud wasn't going full out – however, he had the feeling his opponents weren't either.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Zack looking indecisive, but finally he dashed out of the church, yelling over his shoulder. "Don't kill him!"

Genesis merely grunted in return, and Cloud didn't know what to think about that.

As he swerved to avoid the tendrils of flames coming from Genesis, he noted Sephiroth's position as he closed in to deliver a flurry of blows. Cloud immediately went to the defence, fending Masamune off, and had to break away as Rapier flashed in his peripheral vision.

They were good, and with Angeal, they would be even _better_.

He skidded back, pushed by the conjoined blows of their swords. They leapt back as well, catching their breath with wary eyes on the blonde.

"There aren't many who can still survive while fighting two First Class SOLDIERs at the same time." Sephiroth remarked, whipping his blade to the side as he readied himself for another round.

"You are quite good." Genesis acknowledged grudgingly, "But we will emerge victorious. '_Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost. Wings stripped away, the end is nigh.'_" He recited with a dramatic flourish of his arms. This time, Sephiroth didn't seem to mind too much, but still cast an irritated glance at the red-haired man in response.

Cloud remained unresponsive, merely tightening his grip on his sword. He contemplated escaping and waiting for Angeal to come back to attack again, or to stay and fight – an action which currently held no outright reward for him.

Of course, if he injured one of them, fatally at least, that would guarantee the remaining two coming back for revenge. However, Cloud preferred to fight all three at full health as soon as possible.

Before they clashed again, Sephiroth asked suddenly, a curious gleam in his eyes. "You look... familiar. What is your name? For Zack to not want you to die after hurting his girlfriend, I must admit, I am intrigued."

Cloud's eyes narrowed, but it was expected for Sephiroth to be interested. "... Cloud Strife."

Genesis shifted at that, frowning, but the silver-haired man merely nodded.

"I see, so you are that boy from back then." He lifted Masamune's hilt into both hands, relaxing in a stance Cloud recognised. "Let us see how much you have improved, shall we?"

And with that, Sephiroth struck.

* * *

While Zack badly wanted to go back to the church and help - he didn't know _who_ he would help exactly – he had to make sure Aeris was alright first. As soon as he stepped into the infirmary, he hailed a nurse and she immediately gestured for him to put the brunette down on one of the beds. He did so gently, and waited for the nurse to perform her analysis.

As she worked, he began to feel conflicted. No - at the most, his inner turmoil got worse.

The fact that Cloud might've been stuck with _Hojo_ of all people was a major blow. He hadn't even begun to think that he'd have a _secret_ lab, of all things, in _Nibelheim_.

He had to see for himself, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to take it as seriously as he needed to. He believed Cloud, but there was something completely _off_ about the blonde. Zack hoped that whatever Hojo did, it wasn't permanent. Even if it was, he'd stay and help the blonde through this whole thing. He owed him that much, at the least.

And Zack honestly didn't want to think Cloud as his enemy. Never would he harm the blonde again – especially since his actions back then had resulted in him being kidnapped by Hojo. He could only imagine what the mad scientist had done to his best friend.

He had to know what happened, and, if Hojo was still alive, Zack was damn sure he would not be any longer.

Immediately, he flipped open his PHS, ringing a certain contact.

"Hey, Reno, is your offer still up for that helicopter...?"

* * *

The arrival of the blonde was sure to cause _some_ mental waves.

And for one who's high time it was to wake up, _he_ was certainly no exception.

_HELP!_

The tortured scream reverberated throughout the laboratory - perhaps even the whole mansion.

And red eyes snapped open.

* * *

Cloud cursed for the umpteenth time.

They weren't going to let him get away. Genesis was studiously covering all the exits, and Sephiroth was fighting him into a corner. The two SOLDIERs had probably realised he was trying to escape now, and upped the ante.

As Sephiroth's and Cloud's swords clashed in a brief standstill, the blonde snarled at him something that he regretted instantly in a brief lapse of control. "What, are you going to try and kill me again?"

The silver-haired man remained expressionless. "I do believe Zack wanted you taken in alive." He didn't seem to acknowledge the '_again_' part of his sentence.

"Tch." Cloud spat; it now wasn't possible for him to flee at the level he was holding himself on. But as fireballs shot at him and he jerked his head back to avoid them, he felt his Limit Break coming.

Forcing Sephiroth away with a strength that the man was surprised at, Cloud began to direct his energies into his sword.

"_Blade Beam._" Cloud said softly, and swung his sword in Sephiroth's direction. The crescent-shaped energy flew at Sephiroth and he was knocked back, colliding heavily with the opposite stone wall of the church.

Genesis yelled and began to run at Cloud, but the energy was now directed at Genesis, coming from Sephiroth's direction which was directly behind him. Taken by surprise, he was thrown across the flowers, rolling over with a dull thump.

Cloud holstered his sword, satisfied. It wasn't everyday you caught two SOLDIER First Class' by surprise, but the blonde wasn't about to gloat over it. If anything, they were lucky he had used a lower level of his Limit Breaks on them. However, he was sure that they hadn't used their full strengths on him either, and if they had, it would have proved to be dangerous for their lives. Still, Cloud had to admire them.

He began walking to the church doors, eager to get to Nibelheim. No doubt his counterpart was there, and if he turned out to be wrong after all, then maybe he'll at least find _something_ useful there.

"'_My friend, do you fly away now? To a world that abhors you and I? All that awaits you is a sombre morrow, no matter where the winds may blow.'"_

The voice was soft, but Cloud halted. He looked over his shoulder to watch Genesis sit up casually, brushing off the dirt on his clothes.

"I am not your friend." The blonde told him sharply. The red-haired man only smirked at him.

"The word 'friend' has many meanings, though I still interpret your flight as running away." He said haughtily. "Nevertheless, I must express thanks. I have yet another thing to boast over Sephiroth now."

"You hardly received the most of my attack than he did."

"And yet Sephiroth doesn't know this. Don't worry; the relationship between us is merely a friendly rivalry, after all."

Cloud snorted, and started walking again. "I don't care."

"You don't care to try us again?" Genesis called after him.

"When your other friend is back from his mission, then I'll consider it."

And Cloud closed the church doors after him with a loud, echoing thump.

But what Genesis didn't hear was what the blonde murmured under his breath next, the only line he had ever bothered to really memorise from Loveless.

"'_Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return.'"_

* * *

"We are even, okay?! We're even, Fair!" Reno yelled down to the First Class as the helicopter pulled away.

Zack kept up the smug grin as he waved. "Yeah, sure! I'll remember this, Turk!" He shouted back, but the joy of being in the air was fading, and he turned to face the Shinra mansion.

This was where Sephiroth had learnt everything about his 'parentage', and Zack still wasn't sure he should have been privy to it. It sounded horrible, and Zack had been sure the guy was going to go off the deep end. Yet after a week of seclusion, he seemed to be fine, and stoutly apologised for the wait.

_At least Genesis was there to calm him down,_ Zack through wryly, remembering the red-haired man had visited Sephiroth after the first day, and promptly got kicked out a full five hours afterwards.

The main reason they checked out the building at all was because of arsonist rumours. Apparently, someone had tried to burn down the mansion the night their entourage came to Nibelheim, and the villagers thought Shinra was to blame. Admittedly, they never did catch the arsonist, but then neither did they invest any resources into it since their first priority was checking in on the reactor. Cloud suggested they leave it, and said that a lot of people had tried to burn it down as he grew up.

And for some reason, Zack had felt he was lying, but decided to just nod and go along with it. Whatever his blonde friend had lied for, maybe he had good reason to. Even then, that didn't entirely rule out the theory that maybe Cloud _himself_ had tried to burn it down.

As he approached the entrance now, his apprehension rose. He hadn't set foot in this building yet, and neither did he want to now. But he had to know the truth, and what exactly had happened five years ago besides the things he had seen himself.

And he didn't even get to touch the _doorknob_ before the entrance exploded in his face.

He flew back, his back hitting the ground. "Oomph!" He groaned, struggling to sit up. He blinked rapidly, trying to dislodge the debris floating around his face.

When the dust finally cleared, he could only gape.

In front of him stood a red-cloaked man, with what seemed to be a golden metal claw as his left arm, and a wicked gun clutched in the other.

"Nice fashion statement?" Zack asked, getting to his feet. The black-haired man merely stared at him, and Zack felt slightly unnerved by his red eyes.

"Who are you?" At first, Zack didn't know where the voice was coming from, seeing as the guy's mouth was covered by the collar of his cloak. But seeing as he was the only one around other than Zack, he figured he was the one who had to have spoken.

"Zack Fair, First Class SOLDIER." Zack said smartly, grinning brightly.

The guy nodded in greeting, "Vincent Valentine."

The name sounded familiar, but Zack dismissed it. Knowing what the guy was doing was more favourable to find out. "This used to be ShinRa property... can I know why you're here?" He asked casually.

Vincent shrugged, "I believe I have been slumbering for the past few decades. But that is none of your business; me and my associate must get away from here."

Zack frowned, trying to peer past the gunman. "Associate?"

"Keep going, Vincent! I don't exactly want to be stuck here all day! And I _can't_ believe you ran off without me! You know I'm almost _crippled_." Came an annoyed voice from behind the red-cloaked figure.

Zack's breath hitched at the familiar voice. _No,_ he tried to convince himself, _it can't be possible. He was back there in Midgar and...?_

But his eyes once again denied him any kind of fantastical lies.

Vincent moved out of the way, and Cloud Strife stepped out of the doorway. He looked as haggard and tired as the Cloud Zack saw in the church, and, if possible, even more worse for wear. What looked like green liquid dripped off those familiar blonde spikes, and Zack's worst fears became real.

"Hey, Zack! Nice to meet you again." Cloud smiled softly at his friend, though underneath, Zack could tell it was shaky and uncertain.

"Uuuh..." Zack felt overwhelmed. _Two Clouds?!_ _Or maybe the one back in Midgar was an illusion? But Genesis and Sephiroth were fighting him and..._

Unfortunately, it was too much for his poor brain to process.

"Zack? Hey, are you alright?"

_Oh, Planet, Cloud really did get experimented on. But did the other Cloud get captured? Maybe the other one was a clone and that was why he was being so cold toward me?_

Inwardly, Zack panicked, and he was sure it was showing on his face. His thoughts were currently a scramble, and he couldn't even _begin_ to form a coherent sentence.

Except one.

"What the _fuck_ is going on?"

And, abruptly, Zack pulled an Aeris and immediately collapsed to the ground in a heap.

* * *

**A/N: L****eave a review if you will.**


	5. Recall

**Sinner**

* * *

Chapter Four: Recall

Insanity never had memories to call it's own.

Everything was jumbled, everything was distorted. What events could one remember, what images could one trust – especially if they couldn't stop doubting their own reflection?

Cloud himself had fragmented memories – he wasn't even sure whether they were entirely his or not. A scar that was remembered clearly to have been gained when he'd been an infantryman did not show on his chest.

Yet maybe this was because of his WEAPON status? Was he even a WEAPON? Did he spend all those years wandering the barren wastelands that used to be a vibrant, lush Planet?

Could he trust his memories, even now?

Yet for Cloud, memories were all he had.

* * *

Cloud cursed. Of course, it would take _days_ for him to get to Nibelheim. Why hadn't he stolen a helicopter when he had still been in Midgar? Still, he trudged on relentlessly.

Even as he walked, that nagging feeling came back to annoy him. It was the same as back in the church, that feeling of _wholeness_ or other such emotion. It was a source of comfort, but Cloud wouldn't be lulled so easily. It was suspicious; it could even be an attempt for Jenova to take over his mind, so Cloud refused to acknowledge it properly.

Still, even when he did push it away, yet another thing bugged him.

His counterpart.

Thinking about him brought a sense of foreboding, and _that_ Cloud could rely on. Whether he could be a potential threat or not did not nearly bother him as much as the fact that there could be something _else_ to him, other than having been with Hojo for the past five years.

Cloud wasn't entirely sure on his counterpart's _liveliness_ as a matter of fact, yet he still had high hopes for it. Surely the other Cloud would be more powerful, after having been through the same procedures as he had when he'd been that age.

_If there is anything else to my counterpart, then surely it can't affect a _whole _lot of things,_ Cloud scowled to himself. Hopefully this Planet's Cloud would be just a normal person; disregarding the Mako-soaking and Jenova cell implants, that is. If it were the case otherwise, then there would be a problem.

_What, you thought you were the only one with secrets? Hahahaha..._

Cloud shook his head, uncertainty growing in him again. "What secrets? If they wanted to know, they should've asked."

_Hmm hmm, but they did. You just didn't listen, now did you?_

The blonde's lip curled, and he resolutely ignored the voice... whoever it belonged to, he didn't know exactly. And he wasn't entirely in the mood to find out.

Right now, his goal was Nibelheim, and hopefully his rather unpredictable method of getting there would be enough to throw off any pursuit. People relied on helicopters, and they had probably expected him to have one. Or perhaps, they would think he would aim to steal one from ShinRa.

Whatever the case, that would at least divide their resources, and he was sure he had caused enough of a ruckus for _someone_ to chase after him.

* * *

Zack woke, and instantly recognised the inn they were in. _Nibelheim...?_ It felt like déjà vu, and he glanced over to his left. Yep, there was Cloud, sleeping peacefully in the bed next to him.

Vincent was absent, but Zack was content to just resting there, trying to process everything. Admittedly, it wasn't a very SOLDIER thing to do, fainting like a girl back there, but really, what _was_ going on?

He shook his head, and just waited. He would question Cloud when he woke – after some thorough noogie'ing of course.

"_Why didn't you tell me_?"

The voice was raspy, as if it hadn't been used in such a long, long time. Zack's head turned, hearing Cloud speak. However, it didn't seem like the blonde was talking to him. Instead, his eyes were closed, and he was tossing and turning in his sleep. His face looked like he was in pain, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

Immediately, the dark-haired First Class got up, crossing over to the other bed and hoisted the blonde's panicking form into his lap.

"Hah, you've gotten big, Spiky!" Zack told him affectionately, brushing aside his worry for comfort instead. He ruffled the blonde's hair slightly. "Still, I'm sure you're supposed to be heavier than that! When we get back to Midgar, I'm treating you to a feast! I'll cook, of course, since I'm so damn good at it-!"

There was a snort, and Zack looked down into Cloud's faintly amused features.

"You can't cook, Zack." He said quietly, "even Aeris agrees with me."

Zack pouted, "Hey, I could've improved after all these years! You just wait and see!" He said defensively.

"Yeah... I'm sure you have." Cloud smiled at him wistfully, and Zack could have almost punched himself. Why was he being so damn insensitive? Especially when Cloud was in such a fragile state of mind, he shouldn't even be mentioning how many years he'd been kept captive.

"It's fine, Zack." Cloud said in a placating tone, recognising the sudden downtrodden expression Zack had on. And Zack knew he was also saying it for the _other_ thing as well.

"No, it's not fine." Zack gritted his teeth, the old shame and self-hatred coming back. "I should've tried to save you back then, and before, I find out that you were still alive and in _Hojo's_ clutches-!"

"Zack." Cloud said firmly, and sat up, turning to face him with burning blue eyes. If anything, the glowing irises, a sign of Mako being present within the body, only worsened his mood. "You did nothing wrong. There wasn't anything you could've done back then, and you didn't even _know_ Hojo had me." He clutched his best friend's arm tightly, "You did _nothing _wrong, okay?"

The First Class merely stared at Cloud, yet his purple eyes could only convey so much of his inner turmoil. Really, Cloud couldn't shake sense into him – Zack needed to come to terms with it on his own.

As if Cloud knew exactly how he was feeling, he flopped back onto Zack's lap, closing his eyes in content at the familiarity. "Its how we always felt, right?"

Zack didn't answer, and merely ran his fingers through the blonde's spikes.

One thing kept on bugging him, however.

Cloud and Aeris had never met before, so how exactly did he _know_ her?

* * *

Aeris jerked back upon seeing a dark silhouette appear suddenly in front of her.

At first, she couldn't make out the features – it was as if all of the light had been redirected away from this person. No, it was more like there was nothing for the light to actually _reflect_.

It would have been impossible, but then she was inside a mind – a twisted one at that. And so far, nothing seemed to make any sense.

She turned her attention back to the figure in front of her. Oddly enough, the shape seemed to be similar to Cloud's. Even the sword was on his back, albeit part of the shadow.

At first, the shadow seemed threatening, but she realised it only stared at her. At least, she thought it was looking at her, considering the angle of its face.

"Let me help you." Aeris said firmly, taking a step forward. It drew back in surprise, but nodded in response, though hesitantly.

"Tell me what you know." The brunette said, in a much softer tone. Already she felt the need to comfort this apparition, even if it might not be real in the first place.

"But my memories are unreliable." It's voice was a mere whisper, but leaden with guilt and sorrow and shame. Aeris inhaled sharply at how _strongly_ she could feel it, and she had to hold her hand over her heart, trying to steady herself after the glimpse of negative feelings.

But this... _shade_ could help. She knew it. And she would be a fool to not trust her instincts.

Aeris' expression was sombre, and she gently laid a hand on it's shoulder. It flinched, but otherwise didn't move, and she herself felt the shadowed skin cold to the touch. She felt a certain kind of sorrowful fondness for it, though it probably had to do with how many reminiscing stories Zack told her of Cloud, the one who had died five years ago. How they related, she didn't exactly know, but she knew that this new Cloud had something _crucial_ lingering within his mind.

"Please, you need to help me. Otherwise I won't be able to help you." Aeris implored. She sensed for the outer edges of her conscience once again, and felt that something bad was coming. She was within Midgar, yet both Zack and Cloud were far away from her; the former already in Nibelheim, and the latter heading towards it.

She had to figure out the mystery behind this Cloud fast; it seemed imperative that he had to be understood, other than the fact that he was supposed to be _dead_.

The shadow in front of her hesitated once more before relenting. "I can... lead you to someone who can tell you what is going on. I can't trust my memories. Not yet." It whispered.

Aeris nodded, but was confused. How could you not trust your own memories? They were a record of what you've learnt, experienced and felt. Yet she could see where the apparition was coming from. Sometimes memories could get fabricated, and it brought to her mind that maybe the Cloud that was wandering around in this world now had fake memories? That maybe he believed he was Cloud? Yet that still didn't explain his appearance, especially with how _deep_ she had felt Zack's distress to be.

Her musings were put aside when the shade turned and moved off soundlessly, and she began to follow it.

Whatever it was going to show her, she had a feeling that nothing good would come out of it – even if she was going to be shown the truth.

* * *

**A/N: R****eview if you wish.**


	6. Dealings

**Sinner**

* * *

Chapter Five: Dealings

Could insanity be a boon as well?

Some could agree that it is – their morality, if their impairment had meddled with it, gone. Insecurities, worries and doubts – gone, because insanity just has a way of making one not _care_ anymore.

Yet could insanity be more of a curse? To those who are affected by the actions of a madman, or to the crazy person himself?

Cloud didn't care either way – as long as he got what he wanted: his oblivion or the reunion with his loved ones would perhaps be a gift to all.

And maybe this way of thinking was the most dangerous kind of insanity out of all of them.

* * *

It was the low mutterings that lulled Zack from his slumber.

He almost shot bolt upright, but remembered he was in a safe place – well, a semi-safe place at least. But until Cloud recovered fully, he was content to ringing in his sudden vacation leave to Sephiroth, who was otherwise disgruntled at his abrupt statement and was instantly hung up on before he could drag answers out of his fellow First Class. Zack figured that he could wait, at least until they got back to Midgar.

He was, by all accounts, very eager to put as much distance between Cloud and that accursed lab lurking beneath the Shinra mansion, but Vincent Valentine had assured him that he would keep watch for any of Hojo's men until Cloud was able to travel. This gesture surprised Zack, but he took it nonetheless. Besides, Cloud seemed to trust the guy at least.

And when they did get back to Midgar, Zack was definitely asking Aeris if she had met Cloud before his disappearance. It didn't seem possible, but then, he didn't always have an eye on his girlfriend and best friend, especially on missions. Of course, he could always ask Tseng.

Yet the familiarity Cloud had exuded when he had said Aeris' name suggested he'd been good friends with her. As far as Zack knew, Aeris had known no one by the name of Cloud, and had almost certainly shown no signs of familiarity when he'd spoken of the blonde to her.

It would be something to investigate and grill Cloud about, but that could wait.

Now, he was content on eavesdropping on Cloud's and Vincent's conversation.

It he'd been sure what they were speaking about was of no importance, then he would have been dragging the blonde's ass back to bed.

Nevertheless, Zack kept his breathing even, and was once again thankful for his Mako-enhancements for his advanced hearing. Yet the more he heard, the more he became perplexed.

"... you said you would tell me. What became of Lucrecia's son? You said you had helped him." Vincent said in his usual monotone, but it sounded like he was getting more agitated by the second.

"I did! Trust me, Vincent, can't I just tell you later?" Cloud replied patiently, and Zack wondered inwardly what secrets he was keeping from both him _and_ Vincent. Granted, he hadn't told the blonde of his clone running around, but he figured he would wait until Cloud was recovered before tackling that problem.

"The only reason I helped you to escape back there was because you knew where Lucrecia was and that you know her son. You must tell me where they both are!" Vincent's voice was bordering on desperate now.

_He must really love this Lucrecia person,_ Zack mused, noting the rapid heartbeat and narrowed red eyes.

"And I will!" Cloud replied earnestly, "just, please, you have to give me more time. Not just to recover, but to sort out some more... things."

"What kinds of things?" There was a thump, and Zack assumed Vincent had taken a step towards the blonde. He was about ready to burst in on their little chat, but held back. The man wouldn't be stupid enough to harm the blonde here, especially with one of said blonde's friends 'sleeping' nearby.

Vincent continued, relenting slightly. "I will give you more time, but you cannot give me her location?"

Cloud sighed, and Zack could detect a tone of regret underlining his tone. "You'd go searching for her. I know you, Vincent, you love her that much. I need you here, and despite whatever you say, you'd go in search of her immediately."

If Zack didn't know better, he would say that Cloud was _blackmailing_ the guy. Something that Zack was used to, since he knew how the Turks operated and all, but _Cloud_ was doing it. As far as Zack remembered, the blonde was supposed to be gentle-tempered, and his sense of justice and good morality was through the roof.

The kid had been drowning in Mako for the last five years, a thought which made Zack cringe with guilt, so maybe the experiments had altered more than his body. Which was understandable of course; anyone living with Hojo for that long would at least be a _little_ crazy upstairs.

But if that Cloud clone, or whatever he was, had been living with Hojo all his life, Zack guessed he had more than a small amount of issues going on in that head. And from what Zack had seen, the clone was _definitely_ unstable, considering the bizarre attention span, odd looks-into-the-distance, and random frowning and those creepy _twisted_ smiles that were so _not-_Cloud.

Zack backtracked mentally. If it turned out the clone wasn't a clone at all, then he'd have to stop referring to him as a clone.

_Strife_, Zack nodded mentally. Yeah, that suited him better than 'clone'. This way he'd hopefully not mix them up in the future.

And then he remembered. Vincent Valentine... Zack could recall Reno mentioning him once or twice in the few times they'd encountered in Aeris' presence. A former Turk, apparently, and Zack could remember Reno practically hero-worshipping the guy. As far as Zack knew, the idolizing had just been a phase for the redhead, but that still didn't stop him from trying to ignore him.

Yet obviously that tactic hadn't worked out, considering he could remember what Reno was fawning about.

Suddenly annoyed with himself for going off-topic with his thoughts, he listened back in the conversation. Luckily, it didn't seem like he had missed anything.

"...And I have to wonder how you know me so well." Vincent's voice dropped to a murmur, and Zack had to strain to hear it.

Cloud's tone was unreadable. He answered without missing a beat. "I will tell you everything you need to know; just... not right now."

To Zack, it seemed as if their conversation had come to a close. And, honestly, he wasn't so sure whether he should butt in or not; maybe demand some answers out of them blonde when he wasn't expecting it.

But the moment had passed and Vincent's footsteps could be heard as he took off without another word. A familiar sigh was heard before there were soft footfalls that headed closer and closer towards Zack.

Inwardly, his attention zoomed to that. Wasn't Cloud now passing his own bed-?

Before he knew it, the smaller male climbed into bed with him, curling up beside the First Class' larger frame. Zack shifted, wrapping his arms around the blonde tightly. He could sense the waves of hurt, guilt and_ turmoil_ within Cloud – feelings that Zack knew all too well.

Zack gave Cloud a gentle noogie, murmuring through a yawn that pushed its way out of his mouth. "Just like a chocobo."

The blonde huffed but otherwise didn't answer. Zack smirked to himself and closed his eyes.

However, he couldn't sleep. He lay there silently, listening as Cloud's breathing evened out and his ears caught the steady, lulling beat of his heart. Zack shifted slightly, trying to fall asleep himself, but it proved to be an impossible task after at least ten minutes of it. Instead, he decided to ponder on the blonde lying in his arms right now.

He didn't know exactly _when_ Cloud had begun carrying an invisible burden as heavy as the damn _world_ on his back. It was something he still puzzled about, yet he could hazard a guess when it had started.

It wasn't like he got attached to infantrymen he knew the names of right away – it left with him a guilty feeling of how much he actually discarded them. They would never be able to earn a name for themselves – to officials or even the populace; they were just another statistic, another member of the army: an unknown face that never mattered in the bigger picture.

Zack was lucky – he had the skill to become a SOLDIER, unlike those who failed the exams and could only manage the rank of yet another ordinary enforcer. The infantrymen were just extra hands – expendable; something Zack used to subconsciously regard them as.

Yet the growing friendship between him and Cloud pushed back that delusion, and he didn't regret it. The blonde – a simple infantryman that only got selected to accompany him to Kalm by chance – had gotten closer to Zack in a space of a few minutes. Even after the first conversation they had, Zack had felt a familiarity that he'd gotten attached to.

He didn't know exactly why, but he did know that Cloud had become, and since then was, one of Zack's closest friends.

But there was something always lurking beyond the surface. If Zack didn't know better, he would describe it as something... sinister, unstable. It frightened Zack, but not for himself; he could only think of what it could mean for the blonde.

By all accounts, Cloud seemed fine; he seemed like a gentle kid, one with a staggering amount of hero-worship for Sephiroth, and could have been mistaken as an eco-warrior if not for his skill in battle. When he was mad, his bite was surprisingly sarcastic and sharp, but overly Zack considered the blonde a good person - perhaps even better than Zack himself.

But the one thing that threw him was always that glazed _look_ that stole over the blue eyes. It was unsettling, and once or twice Zack didn't think he was mentally _there_ half the time. And maybe when that look took over during a battle did the worry come back full force. Cloud was _different_ to say the least.

Zack always noted the way the blonde fought – there was a certain way he held himself, like he regretted hurting others, but had to do it because it was his job. A hesitance was always present, but when that _look_ came, that falter was gone.

Zack figured he would do something about it, as soon as the odd outbreak of monsters stopped. Yet even after four more months, the flow of attacks steadily got worse – along with the episodes Cloud had.

And he would have confronted the blonde about it, but suddenly... it was as if a whole different person had taken Cloud's place.

Yes, it meant the blonde no longer went _unstable_, but Zack had to wonder where his innocent friend went, leaving a shadow of a personality. It had seemed as if this Cloud had just lived _too_ long, judging by the distant glaze in his now weary eyes. The look wasn't the same as his previous detachments, but it still bothered Zack all the same. Even the sudden lack of Sephiroth-idolizing had Zack at a loss for words.

The blonde had changed, and Zack still didn't know why – or even how.

He regretted not confronting the blonde about it sooner, for a whole month later they were dispatched to Nibelheim together with Genesis and Sephiroth.

Zack sighed softly, and looked down at the blonde curled up beside him. The dim moonlight filtering through the curtains only highlighted the exhaustive lines Cloud had on his expression. Immediately, Zack was once again filled with guilt. Even if Cloud had changed majorly, he should've still been there to support him with whatever he was going through.

He wouldn't let Cloud get hurt ever again. He would make sure of it.

* * *

He was finally in Nibelheim.

Cloud thought it would have taken him at least over three days, but he supposed he had run faster and longer than he thought. Along the way, he had spotted a few helicopters scouting the lands from above, as if searching for something. Or someone.

Honestly, he hadn't expected helicopters to come after him. It wasn't like he had levelled any buildings or anything. Still, he supposed attacking two First Class SOLDIERs was creating a significant ruckus within the ranks.

If he could guess, it would be around two in the morning right now.

Cloud strode silently through his home village, his legs taking him directly towards the familiar mansion.

However, as he passed the inn, the oddest feeling struck him. He glanced up at the darkened windows and shook his head. He would go there later. Right now, the lab held more interest for him.

He pushed forward and in moments he stood in front of the mansion. It used to be a place of bad memories for him, but now, strangely, Cloud didn't feel anything for it at all. Even though he had spent five years of his life being experimented on, it didn't seem to affect him at all on a mental level – or on any other level. It was odd, but then he had bigger things to concentrate on.

As he went up to the second floor, he felt a wave of vertigo. He halted, shaking his head to clear it.

Cloud looked around, frowning. Where was he again? His vision was crossing and fading at the same time. For a frightening moment, he couldn't recognise the place he was in.

_Cloud~_

_WEAPON, you are not to-!_

_Fragments upon fragments..._

_Did you ever think why-?_

_... wake up, Cloud. Your reality is right _here_._

_Maybe you never did exist, hm~?_

_Sleep, WEAPON. You are not needed now-!_

"Stop it." Cloud hissed, hands flying up to grip his head. Colours flashed wildly in front of him, and he fought to gain control of his senses.

Slowly, _slowly_, the dizziness subsided. Coherent thoughts once again returned, and recognition of his surroundings came back. Hesitantly, Cloud lifted his head, hands retreating back to his sides; his blue eyes were intense as he glared at the floor.

"What the _hell_ was that?" He muttered to himself. While it was a weird sensation, it wasn't the first time it had happened. The first time, he could remember, was in the church, back in his _own_ universe.

Nevertheless, it was an issue he couldn't care less about right now. He was too close to a solution, and whatever happened to him just then wouldn't matter as long as he accomplished his goal. As he progressed through the secret passage beyond, his guard went up even more. As far as he remembered there were a few bats lingering around the place.

But as he went down the last few steps, it turned out that didn't really matter after all.

Forget his counterpart – maybe this would prove to be even better.

"Hojo." He said in greeting, a serene smile crossing his face at the sight of the stunned man. "Have you ever heard of a Planet's WEAPON?"

* * *

**A/N: ****I wouldn't exactly know the mechanics of this alternate universe. Don't try to discredit me on any information or events I've changed - after all, I said this was an AR/AU. Though that doesn't exactly mean I know how everything got to that point... I should, but I don't.**

**Anyways, review if you wish.**


	7. Knowing

**Sinner**

* * *

Chapter Six: Knowing

What would one do if they knew they were insane?

Would they go to another for help? Would they try to deal with it on their own? Or maybe they were too far gone to even consider the implications of their mental conditions having an effect on the people close to them?

_Am I... really going the right way about this?_ Cloud had doubts – something that rarely occurred to him nowadays.

Yet even those got swept aside by the tidal wave known as madness.

* * *

"Have you ever looked at someone," the apparition whispered as it led Aeris through a multitude of glowing balls of light. "Have you ever looked and had the feeling that you were only looking into water?"

Aeris frowned at the question and shook her head. "No... what do you mean by water?"

There was a wry smile in its tone as it answered. "Water: you look into someone's eyes, and you see your own reflection. Yet behind that very reflection, you can sense no one is behind it."

The brunette thought back to Cloud's face. It had been pale and his fatigue had shown clearly in the heavy bags under the shut eyelids. However, she hadn't seen his eyes before she had fainted.

As if it had read her mind, the shade said quietly. "Cloud... he has those eyes." Aeris suddenly had the feeling that someone entirely different was speaking now. Indeed, the shape was changing, becoming more feminine.

"Who are you?" The brunette took a step back, confused and wary.

The shade stopped too, turning around. "Oh, Aeris. You thought you were in his mind, didn't you?" The voice was soft, familiar.

"Where am I then?" She felt unsure, and the features of the shadow in front of her were still indiscernible. Aeris was certain she was in Cloud's mind, but now...

"You're within your own mind."

The answer had Aeris stepping back in surprise. How had she gotten stuck within her own head? Why did it look so...?

Again, it seemed to know what she was thinking. "This is the section of your mind that I remain in." It was an idea that panicked the brunette. Who exactly _was_ this person?

"His mind is too dangerous." The shade continued, "I had to protect you from him. He's too far gone for anyone to try and get back."

Aeris searched inwardly for evidence that she was in Cloud's mind. Surely she could help him? Yet the tone of finality accompanying the apparition's voice dampened her spirits slightly. No, there had to be a _way_.

"But I don't know – I didn't know who Tifa was! How could I see her if I were in my own mind?" Aeris tried, though she had a suspicion...

"I gave you that memory."

And abruptly, the darkness cleared from the shade all at once. Colour flew into the figure, and Aeris could recognise the apparel all too well.

"What...? She whispered.

Standing in front of her was her own reflection; older, and seemingly much wiser, judging by the wisdom in those eyes.

Her counterpart? But from where? How?

"I've been dormant within you." Her doppelganger said, and gave a gentle laugh at Aeris' still dumbfounded expression. "I'm sorry, but the arrival of this Cloud woke me. When I glimpsed him in the few seconds you saw him, his aura alarmed me."

"You were saying something about your memories were not to be trusted... was that really you?" Aeris asked, frowning. The other brunette nodded.

"Yes; although I wasn't referring to myself. The Cloud you saw really did have faulty memories... something, I think, you will understand soon enough." Regret flowed on her tone.

"Why are you saying that he's beyond help, though? If you say his mind was as dangerous as you said it was, then maybe we can restore him!" Aeris insisted, and her eyes widened at the bright sheen that appeared in her counterpart's eyes.

The older woman hesitated, blinking away the tears that had pooled suddenly. "Maybe. I... yes, my Cloud and I owe him that much." She uttered, and Aeris was once again overwhelmed by the sadness her counterpart exuded. She had before mistaken it as Cloud's, but perhaps it belonged to the woman in front of her instead.

"'Your' Cloud?" Aeris asked hesitantly. Confusion swirled within her mind, but the truth was swimming just beyond her reach. She could almost _feel_ it.

And the older woman leaned forward, the remorse in her eyes being overtaken by a mischievous glint. She asked something that seemed impossible, yet, when Aeris thought about it, entirely believable at the same time.

"Say, what do you think of the possibility of time travel?"

* * *

Cloud honestly didn't care that he was making a deal with a person that could be accurately described as the 'devil'. He had one desire, and he would do anything in his power to achieve it.

Now, he flexed his wrist, eyes narrowing on the IV drip attached to his arm. Out of the corner of his vision, he could see the scientist, practically bursting with excitement. Cloud wasn't surprised at this – Hojo was being given the rare opportunity to experiment on a WEAPON – and a _human_ one at that.

What did surprise Cloud, however, was the depth of interest that Hojo possessed. It was like he had never heard of a WEAPON before. But the blonde was positive he had, especially considering the incident with the Omega WEAPON.

_Perhaps,_ Cloud mused, _WEAPONS do not exist in this world. But how could that be? What would serve as the Planet's defences? The only real last resort seemed to be the use of the Lifestream._

Hojo's usual slick voice wormed its way past his thoughts, and the blonde clenched his hand into a fist, hating the nasally grate to it. One day, he would put an end to the scientist's miserable existence – and he would make sure Hojo suffered. He hadn't exactly forgotten – hell, even _worked out_ all his fury on the scientist. Not as much as he would have wanted to.

Yet that could wait, at least until Hojo served his purpose.

"You are different than the other experiment I kept in here recently. It's unbelievable you two are the same person, even if the DNA samples I matched were completely identical. Your 'twin' broke out of here a mere two days ago, spitting such vile things at me as he went. Yet here you are, attending my tests of your own free will. It is quite a curiosity." Hojo leered at Cloud, who merely stared at him with no small amount of disgust present on his face, deciding not to answer.

Undaunted, the scientist turned and began striding around his lab, looking for something. Cloud's eyes drifted around the place, recognising the cylinders of Mako he had been trapped in, along with Zack in the past of his own universe. He could vaguely recall it, but the memory came choppily and Cloud decided to keep an ear out for Hojo's musings instead.

"However, the possibilities are endless! I wonder, could you be from another universe? Even your counterpart had readings unlike this Planet. Perhaps you both do not belong to this specific reality? Or maybe something has gone awry in the results?"

_He just loves the sound of his own voice, _Cloud scowled to himself, yet the information Hojo revealed was interesting, but also startling.

The blonde had been certain his counterpart was alive, yet was it just a mere coincidence that he had escaped from Hojo's grasp so recently after his arrival in this universe?

But what threw him the most was how Hojo described his counterpart. _Readings unlike this world...?_

_It's possible,_ Cloud pondered to himself. _Maybe my double was also from another universe? But he seems too well embedded into this world's history..._

His eyes widened as an idea occurred to him. Perhaps this world's Cloud had time travelled? Yes, that would make sense, considering Sephiroth's, Genesis', and Angeal's continued loyalty towards Shinra. Yet, he had gotten himself captured by Hojo... obviously something had gone wrong with his plans.

Cloud ran a hand through his hair, shaking away the speculation. His counterpart didn't matter to him anymore, as long as Hojo fulfilled his part of the deal.

"When will you be finished?" He called out sharply, glaring holes into Hojo's back. The scientist turned towards him, and Cloud noticed a journal and a wicked looking injection in his grasp.

"What does that do?" Cloud asked instead, keeping a wary eye on Hojo as he drew closer. The scientist put away his journal on another table and tapped on the tip of the injection, popping the bubbles inside. The liquid that sloshed around within was a light blue, and Cloud was feeling edgy about the faint glow it exuded.

"Nothing extremely harmful," Hojo answered, and added quickly when the blonde tensed. "With your advanced metabolism, I doubt it would even have an affect. However, there is something I can learn from this that will benefit what you want, of course." He added silkily, and Cloud grimaced.

"If you aren't finished in two weeks I may just have to kill you." Cloud muttered.

Hojo adopted a scandalised expression. "I can't complete the project within such a short amount of time!"

"So make time." The blonde said simply.

The scientist had enough sense to not respond.

* * *

The whitewashed walls of the infirmary greeted her.

She lay in her bed for a moment more, thankful for the absence of any doctors or nurses. It gave her time to sort through what she had learnt.

Aeris _knew_. She knew _everything_. How everything fit; the larger pieces of the puzzle, and the smaller, more complicated truths all slotted together in such a complex pattern.

Her counterpart had given her her knowledge and memories, and Aeris' ability to connect with the Lifestream and the Planet was stronger than ever. She could see it now, the bigger picture. From knowing nothing to knowing almost everything – it was a load that gave her a headache, but she figured it was a fair enough deal.

She could remember the events that could have befallen them, events that came from the memories of her doppelganger. She could feel the ghost of a memory assault her even now, the sharp pain as Masamune pierced through her flesh.

It was averted, the fall of Sephiroth – from being the SOLDIER that almost all boys fantasised about being when they grew up, to becoming the scourge of humanity. That wouldn't happen, she was sure of it. Even without the interference from the outsider soul, Sephiroth would not have become the worst villain he had been in a majority of the universes.

But this world was different.

And with that knowledge, with the awareness of the _differences_, came sorrow. The truth thrummed like a vibrant light within her, and she had to reveal it to the ones whom it mattered most to, no matter how much she would regret bringing pain with it.

Aeris had to tell them, and time was running out.

She sat up, patting her pockets for her PHS. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she found it, glad none of the doctors or nurses had taken it away.

She began to dial a certain number, but her thumb began to slow down and finally halt on the buttons.

Aeris hadn't noticed it before; she reached up with a trembling hand and felt her cheeks. The dampness registered in her mind.

Tears had begun to fall down from her eyes, born from the simple fact of _knowing_.

"Oh." She whispered.

* * *

**A/N:**** A _huge_ thanks to those who have reviewed so far:**

**_-Thunder of Friendship, SymphonyOfDestruction, spiel, saster123, HazzaTL3, exaigon, Irish-Brigid, Mreaca, Skie, Hahnflower, wolfawaken, Skiestrife, KHGiggle, AngelsOnTheMoon98, and skywright._  
**

**Those who are underlined have an even greater level of gratitude from me because they have reviewed more than once. I do see reviews as highly encouraging and motivating, and so I am immensely grateful to those who have shared their opinions._  
_**

**One more note: I keep on changing the plot as I go, so please forgive me if things contradict each other more than once.**

**Anyways, review if you wish.**


	8. Doubts

**Sinner**

* * *

Chapter Seven: Doubts

Could insanity rearrange memories?

Could it alter everything? Could it make one believe in an entire different reality?

Maybe so. Yet, it wasn't like memories mattered to Cloud anymore.

But they were all he really had.

* * *

Zack perched on a well enough sized rock, smiling brightly even as Cloud and Vincent sported otherwise more negative looks. The First Class had sprinted ahead a few metres, and now waved jovially at the other two as they approached.

"Hurry up! I bet my dead grandma could _run_ faster than you two!" Zack said, his grin turning wolfish.

Cloud shot him an exasperated look, but didn't comment. Inwardly, Zack noted the pale pallor of his features, and decided that maybe the blonde could take his time. He _had_ offered to carry Cloud, but the blonde had resisted, insisting on walking by himself. Even though he had three days to recover, he still seemed weak.

Vincent ignored what was going on, still adopting an expression Zack had dubbed his 'sulking' look. Cloud had still refused to tell the former Turk what he wanted to know, and the First Class honestly wasn't sure what to think about that.

While Zack had decided to lay off assisting Cloud in any way, he was still eager to bug him about another issue. He bounded off his seat and up to Cloud, matching his strides.

"So, Cloud." Zack started slyly. The blonde was immediately wary.

"What?" He asked stiffly, slightly alarmed by the mischievous glint Zack had in his eyes.

The First Class replied, in a rather irritating matter-of-fact tone. "I still don't get why you won't visit that girlfriend of yours."

Cloud turned pink. "She's not my girlfriend!" He said defensively, looking away as if he had felt the rush of heat to his face.

"Oho, I see how it is. Still, you couldn't say hi or something? You even avoided her last time!" Zack didn't skip a beat in mentioning _that_ mission. Hopefully Cloud wouldn't be too affected by it.

Luckily, the blonde didn't even seem to notice. "That's none of your business!" Cloud spluttered, which made Zack's grin only grow wider.

And the First Class was about to bug him some more about it when a decidedly female voice interrupted heatedly.

"Well it's certainly mine!"

Zack spun, hand instinctively reaching up for his sword. However, he didn't draw it. Partly because Vincent didn't yell out a warning – an action that Zack wasn't even sure he would do – or anything else. And, secondly, the woman didn't seem threatening.

Well, at least not to Zack.

And Vincent, but the former Turk seemed to have mysteriously disappeared.

Her brown eyes were burning, and Zack was glad that such a ferocious glare wasn't directed at him. In fact, the blonde beside him hadn't turned around at all, seemingly frozen by the newcomer's words.

"You idiot, Cloud!" Zack could only assume this was Tifa. Judging by how pale Cloud had gotten, especially since he'd been blushing mere seconds ago, the blonde could tell how much trouble he was in.

Cloud turned stiffly, his features fully abashed as he regarded his childhood friend. "Tifa... I-"

He flailed as the woman suddenly engulfed him in a strong hug. He tentatively put his hands around her, and Zack smiled at the sight. Hopefully, this would bring Cloud's spirits up even more.

"Why?" Tifa pulled back after only a few short moments. Her hands gripped Cloud's shoulders tightly as she searched his features with eyes that were, while angry on the surface, hurt underneath. "Why didn't you ever contact me? We were in the same village, weren't we? Just before..." Her fists clenched tightly as she lowered them to her sides.

Zack noticed this, but still didn't perceive Tifa as a threat – to his or Cloud's life anyway. He felt he should leave them to their privacy, but he didn't want to stray too far from Cloud. With Zack's advanced hearing, he would have to go quite a long way away so he wouldn't accidentally eavesdrop.

Cloud, on the other hand, looked happy to see his childhood friend, but had an overwhelming desire to flee. She looked murderous, an expression that Tifa hardly wore, but right now she had an entire right to.

The blonde struggled for words. "I'm sorry, Tifa. I couldn't..."

"But you promised, Cloud! Didn't you promise me...?" She insisted, her hands clasping together so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Of course! But – I didn't want to put you in danger!" Underlining Cloud's tone was confusion. Zack could remember the blonde telling him of the promise he had made to Tifa.

"_Why didn't you ever contact me?"_

_"But you promised, Cloud!"_

Now that the First Class thought about it, the words didn't match up. Cloud had told him he had promised Tifa to rescue her when she needed help. It was entirely understandable that Tifa was mad that Cloud hadn't talked to her, even when he had several chances to.

Though the blonde didn't know for sure that Tifa was still in Nibelheim, he could've still shown his face to her five years ago - especially since she'd been chosen as their guide to the reactor. The vehemence the blonde had displayed against that decision only further proved Cloud's desire to protect Tifa.

She couldn't have known that Cloud was trying to protect her even back then – heck, she didn't even know he was in the same village! However, it would explain her distress – the last time she'd seen her childhood friend was when he left to join Shinra after all.

Still, Zack was bewildered on Tifa's choice of words, unless Cloud had omitted something else from him. Yet the thing that seemed to stand out most was Cloud's promise to _protect_ Tifa.

But for all his musings, Zack wasn't entirely sure why Tifa sounded like she didn't want to be left behind instead.

* * *

_"Promise me Cloud. Please-?"_

_"Promise me you'll come and rescue-!"_

_"Cloud, please. Promise me you won't-!"_

_"I want to be with you-!"_

Cloud buried his head in his hands. Images bounced around in his mind, accompanied by the comforting sound of Tifa's voice. The steady beeping beside him – the only noise that stayed with him besides the irritating sound of Hojo's voice - was slowly being drowned out by his sudden flashback.

They were at the well. They were young and Cloud was expressing his desire to join SOLDIER. They were childhood friends, but...

But why did the scene seem so... wrong?

"_Hey, let's make a promise..."_

_"... you'll come save me, all right?"_

Did it really... happen like that?

Cloud couldn't help a certain longing for _his_ Tifa. Back in his own universe.

_But she died, didn't she?_

_You MURDERER._

Beep... Beep... Beep...

"_Can you promise me one thing?"_

_"You're going to do awesome things, I just know it!"_

_"Come on, Cloud! Promise me!"_

_"When the time comes, do you think you could-?"_

_"Cloud, promise me you'll come when I'm in trouble-"_

Beep. Beep. Beep.

_You didn't think she KNEW?_

_Ignorant. Selfish. MURDERER._

_WEAPON! You must-!_

_I'll watch over you..._

Beepbeepbeepbeep-!

His vision tilted, as blurred as it was. Absently, he noted a cold metal pressed against his left ear. There was a moving flash of white in front of him, a horizontal shape in his sight. He could hear distantly a pleased cackle, as if his ears were stuffed full of cotton.

When did he collapse?

"Just promise me this, Cloud..."

And all of a sudden, Tifa's young, earnest face looked into his own. Brown clashed with blue, yet there only existed adoration and care.

"Take me with you, okay? Please, don't leave me behind..."

It took Cloud a moment more to realise that perhaps only _this_ promise mattered.

* * *

Tifa sighed upon seeing Cloud's blank look.

"Oh, you forgot, did you?" Fondness seeped into her expression, but she shook her head. "Never mind that, it _has_ been a long time, after all. I can't expect you to remember such a silly promise."

Guilt flashed over Cloud's expression, and he looked away. "Sorry, Tifa."

Zack wasn't sure why Cloud didn't mention that he did remember. Maybe the blonde was also bemused on Tifa's choice of words? Or perhaps Cloud had truly forgotten, something the First Class couldn't believe since Cloud had told him of the promise. Then again, that was before the blonde had been trapped in Hojo's lab for five years, so Zack decided not to say anything.

"Stop apologising, Cloud!" Tifa said adamantly, "It's alright! I shouldn't have been so hard on you. I guess I was more worried than I realised about you. But who's this?" It took Zack a moment to realise that Tifa was looking at him, curiosity showing on her face besides the warmth.

Cloud, for his part, looked surprised at the question. "You don't know...?" The blonde shook his head, as if remembering something. "Ah, yeah. This is Zack, a SOLDIER - First Class."

Zack smiled broadly, stepping forward and holding out his hand for her to shake. "It's good to finally meet the lady who Cloud has been blabbering about all this time!" Nevermind the five years of thinking the blonde had been dead, but he'd get to that soon enough.

Cloud balked at that, "I-I didn't-!" Zack winked at him, his grin threatening to split his face. Teasing the blonde was just too fun!

At Tifa's suddenly despaired look at him, Cloud relented. "Okay, yeah, I did but you know-!"

"_Zack, you still owe me five million gil."_

The cold voice of Sephiroth came from Zack's pocket, and he jumped visibly at it. Cloud's head jerked up in recognition of the familiar tone, but finding no one there, he visibly relaxed. However, he looked relieved, though it wasn't entirely aimed at Zack himself. Tifa's hand had instinctively reached for Cloud's hand, but she hesitated and withdrew at the last second, frowning.

The image played on the First Class's mind, but the ringtone got even more insistent.

"_If you do not pay me back, I shall have to pay your - what was it? - 'personal stash' a visit."_

"I don't owe you-! What?! How did he know about-?! He recorded-?!" Zack got out his PHS, still relaying that same message. He gawked at the screen. _When the hell did Sephiroth get a hold of my phone?! And how do I owe him five million gil?! No way-! Oh, right, hair products._

That train of thought immediately fled his mind as soon as he saw the caller's ID.

He held the phone to his ear. "Aeris! Are you alright?" He asked urgently, beginning to turn away from the other two. However, he wasn't fast enough to not see an unreadable expression cross Cloud's face at the mention of his girlfriend.

The familiar, gentle laughter reached his ears, making him breath out a sigh of relief. However, he voice caused him to tense up again less than a second later.

"I'm fine, Zack." She answered. Her tone was slightly hoarse, and Zack could identify the cause instantly. The sniffle following her words only incensed his suspicions even more.

"What's wrong?" The First Class asked, relentless.

Aeris exhaled slowly. "Zack... we need to talk. Not over the phone, but in private. It has something to do with Cloud."

Zack was filled with dread. Why didn't he like the sound of this? "Both of them? I mean, there are two of them, right? I didn't imagine the one in the Church?"

The Ancient hesitated. "Not now. Please, you have to come quickly. I'll meet you in Kalm."

"Are you alright to be travelling so soon?" Zack asked worriedly. He hadn't stayed before to hear the specifics on why she had collapsed, and now he rather regretted it.

"Don't worry, Zack." Affection entered her tone. "I'll meet you here."

The First Class nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "Okay then. If you're sure."

"I am." Aeris replied. "Oh, and Zack?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep Tifa close."

When Zack finally hung up on her, he had to wonder how she knew Tifa had gone after them.

_Must be a Cetra thing,_ he figured.

* * *

**A/N:****I must wonder what you guys think might be going on. I've never written a full-out mystery genre before - in fact, I quite hate to read detective-style stories - but I must admit I am having fun with this.**

**Anyways, please review if you wish. And maybe include what you think is really happening?**


	9. Interlude I: Countenance

**Sinner**

* * *

Interlude I: Countenance

The rhythmic tapping of his fellow First Class's foot was starting to irritate him.

"Stop that." Sephiroth said calmly, not even turning to look at Genesis. However, the redhead remained in his spot by the window, scanning the plains surrounding Midgar. Stubbornly, his right foot continued to beat against the ground.

Sephiroth sighed in exasperation, but settled back in his seat on the couch, raising his mug of coffee to his lips to take a sip. He was feeling as impatient as Genesis, but he wasn't so abrasively annoying in his actions to deal with the waiting.

While Sephiroth was feeling edgy with Angeal's delayed arrival back, he was beginning to lose the patience he had with Genesis himself.

"The desire to push you out of the window is growing at a rather high rate." The silver-haired man informed his colleague, putting his cup down on the low table in front of him.

The irritable tapping stopped – only to start again a few seconds later as Genesis turned to face him. "Heh, I'd like to see you try. In fact, let's fight. You and me. Right here."

Sephiroth cocked an eyebrow, tilting his head at Genesis in bemusement. "I am not nearly as bored as you to resort to an impromptu fight. Besides, it would be best to keep our spars inside the training rooms. I doubt Angeal would appreciate the mess he would come back to in his own apartment."

"Well, he should learn not to keep me waiting." Genesis announced, scowling as he whirled back to his bird's eye view of the land around Midgar.

"What, miss him already?" Sephiroth smirked as he faced away from Genesis again. Both of them were too stubborn to actually admit it – hell, perhaps only Angeal would say it out of all of them.

The redhead sounded incensed, and the long-haired swordsman heard him whip around to face him again. "I don't-!"

"I hope you aren't going to say you haven't missed me. It's been three weeks after all." Speak of the devil.

The dry remark cut in and the two men looked at the doorway to see their third comrade. He leaned casually against the doorframe, his arms crossing as he added, unabashed: "I missed _you_ guys after all."

"Angeal!" Genesis started forward, but seemed to mentally restrain himself from showing any real emotions. "Tch, what took you so long?" He asked rudely, covering up his lapse.

Sephiroth drawled, cutting in with amusement creeping into his tone. "Genesis here has been so anxious about you in your absence."

Angeal smiled at the fuming redhead. "Yes, I can see that." He looked at his silver-haired friend, quickly asking so that Genesis couldn't interrupt. "So why was I pulled so abruptly from my vaca-mission?" He skipped smoothly over his slip.

Sephiroth didn't seem to mind, but Genesis leered. "Huh, Costa del Sol too hot for you? Didn't think you'd come back so soon."

"Translation: I wish I could have gone to the beach with you. Your new tan looks hot. Going on vacation with you would be a rocker." Sephiroth said in a perfect monotone. The redhead looked positively murderous.

Angeal gave a short laugh. "I'm sure that's exactly what Genesis meant. He has to have a warm heart in there somewhere."

"Both of you: go jump off a cliff and die painfully." The person in question growled.

"Moving on," Angeal said hurriedly before Genesis could live up to his threat. "What's the problem? I only got a rather vague yet insistent call for me to come back here from Genesis."

Sephiroth ran a hand through his bangs, as if irritated by the reminder. "A blonde. By the name of Cloud."

Angeal's eyes widened at the remark. "Puppy's old infantryman friend? I thought he died?"

Genesis snorted, "Yeah, but it seems like he's coming back with a vengeance."

"So what? Are we hunting him down?" The black-haired SOLDIER was perplexed. He had encountered Zack's best friend several times before he had supposedly died, and had quite liked the blonde's quiet nature. Obviously he had changed – big time.

Dread seeped into his mood. He could only imagine what his ex-student must be going through.

"Of course." Sephiroth answered promptly. "He threatened the life of Zack and his girlfriend, and he even attacked Genesis and I."

_That bad?_ Angeal sighed, shaking his head. Did Cloud blame Zack for what had happened in the Nibelheim reactor? He didn't entirely see it as Zack's entire fault – after all, Sephiroth and Genesis had been there. Still, there was no need to resort to harming his ex-student. Indeed, it only served to pit the First Class SOLDIERs against him.

"The Cloud you fought... How strong is he?" Angeal asked, uncrossing his arms as he walked over to stand in front of Genesis and Sephiroth.

A grimace passed both of their expressions, though Sephiroth's was more hidden.

"Hah! He wasn't _that_ powerful. He could easily fell Sephiroth with one swing, while I remained standing!" Genesis gloated immediately.

The silver-haired swordsman pursed his lips. "Just what exactly are you trying to say?"

"That you're weaker than me. It's obvious who's stronger now if you can't even withstand the attack that hit both of us while I could."

"Impossible. I have a hard time believing that."

"Tch, deny it all you want, Sephiroth! Can't you stand the fact that I could possibly be better than you?"

"I now withdraw my statement against petty fights being started in Angeal's apartment." Sephiroth stood, drawing out Masamune with a flourish. "Come at me."

Genesis smirked; triumph showered his expression as if he was proud at finally bruising Sephiroth's pride enough to make him fight him. "Gladly."

Angeal facepalmed, and immediately got in between the two. "Don't you two think we have better things to be concentrating on?" It was common for these two to goad each other, but did they really have to start when they were in the middle of telling him what had happened? Then again, they didn't get very far with telling him on what the blonde was like.

However, both men immediately sidestepped Angeal. The dark-haired SOLDIER adopted a helpless expression.

"Okay, fine, can you guys _at least_ not fight in my apartment?"

"No." Both answered promptly.

"Besides, you have two other places you bought just in case this happened, right?" Genesis smirked, and followed Sephiroth up on a flurry of clashes that had sparks flying.

Angeal groaned.

"That still doesn't excuse how much I have to pay for repairs..."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I admit I am a rather selfish person when it comes to receiving reviews. My ego is rather greedy. So I'll give you guys an incentive, which is really the only incentive I _can_ offer. ****  
**

**The 50th reviewer can request of me a one-shot that gives a close-up on one scene that is only briefly mentioned in this story. This can go for every 50th reviewer, though right now it kind of seems impossible to reach that 100 review mark.**

**Anyways, I hope that is enough to give you guys a reason to review and share your opinions. Don't think badly of me, but, hey, at least I'm not threatening to discontinue this story _just_ to get reviews. Now that is cruel. Of course, I could be swayed by the option... kidding, guys.**

**As always, reviews are appreciated.**

**P.S.: I truly love writing anything involving Angeal's, Genesis', and Sephiroth's friendship. Yet I also curse the many feels it gives me.**


	10. Challenges

**Sinner**

* * *

Chapter Eight: Challenges

Could someone have a choice in becoming mad?

One could argue that they possibly couldn't be given the option not to. Events would have changed them, pushing their mind beyond it's limits.

Yet they could have chosen that path themselves. They could have wanted to fall, to just not want to make sense of anything anymore.

But, in the end, the actions and deeds they perform under the shadow of a broken mind – would they have wanted that if they'd been in a saner state of mind?

Perhaps, perhaps not; after everything the small, mildly sane part of Cloud didn't want to remember – he wanted to be free of his burdens once and for all. Insanity had seemed like an easier option, his subconscious couldn't deal with the pressure. Otherwise, there would be an endless flow of guilt and shame, which would have lead to an unhinged state of mind in the long run.

But, honestly, insane Cloud couldn't care less.

And maybe that was what the blonde had wanted all along.

* * *

He had to tell him soon.

Hell, Zack could almost taste the tension. They were all keeping secrets from each other, and, if not secrets, then true feelings and suspicions.

Vincent was a given, Zack himself was keeping the existence of the other Cloud from them all and Tifa...

She was frowning. An unreadable emotion was always present in her eyes, and it seemed mostly directed at Cloud, as if she was confused by something. Zack figured it was mostly due to the change in Cloud's personality. Well, there had to be, right? She had to know people change, especially with the amount of time they'd been apart, and considering Cloud's recent captivity with Hojo.

Cloud himself was edgy and stiff, and a new paranoid habit of glancing around warily every five seconds seemed to have integrated itself into his persona. The blonde confused Zack – he confused him a _lot_.

It felt as if there had been three different Cloud's interacting with Zack in the entire course of him knowing him. Hell, maybe there had been _four_ different Clouds, considering how he was acting now!

Even before the five year period, Cloud had been an enigmatic individual. There were a lot of things about the blonde that practically _screamed_ he was different than your usual grunt.

First there was that personality Cloud had greeted him with. Quiet, shy – inexplicably gentle-tempered; hell, he had even shown reluctance when fighting! Second was his odd fits, when that _glazed_ expression overtook the blonde's eyes. It was perhaps this personality that scared him the most. Yes, Cloud was definitely a different person when this happened. Ruthless, almost _robotic_... Zack didn't like it. He liked the gentle side of Cloud, and maybe that was what made him so enamoured towards the blonde in the first place.

His third change in personality began during their third mission together, after at least four or five months of knowing each other. It wasn't like Cloud had changed a _lot_ – no, there were slight changes, small ones, but Zack had still paid attention to them. Tired, Zack had described those blue eyes back then. Tiredness not caused by fatigue, but something else entirely. It took Zack a few days to recognise it, but he could finally recognise it.

Cloud had been tired – of life, maybe? Nevertheless, it seemed like the blonde had lived for more than his far amount of days. It was something that bewildered the First Class, but he went along with it. Yet when it came to battle... Cloud hadn't been ruthless, per se, but neither had he bore the previous reluctance.

And now this Cloud... he definitely had a _reason_ to change so drastically in his personality. He seemed sharper, more snappish and commanding. And Zack wasn't sure if it was for the better.

Nevertheless, he focused on the now. Cloud, it seemed, had decided to randomly capture a chocobo, something Zack didn't even know he knew how. And where did he get those greens?

"Yo, what's the chocobo for?" Zack asked, approaching the blonde curiously.

Cloud gestured back. "For Vincent."

Immediately, Zack guffawed. _Damn_, the mental image of the _extremely_ serious guy riding on a _chocobo_ of all things... not too shabby.

While Zack was currently collapsing from laughter, Vincent came forward while Tifa looked on from the sidelines. The former Turk went up to the chocobo, his face as expressionless as ever.

"Why am I having it?" He asked, a tinge of... was that _reluctance_ in his tone? Zack noticed and sniggered.

Cloud nodded to the towering mountains in the distance. "Over there. Behind the waterfall. I'm sure you know what's in there."

Vincent frowned, then he breathed, "The Crystal Cave...? But, how do you know-?"

The blonde's lips quirked slightly into a smile. "That's where Lucrecia is." He said, "Take the chocobo to get over the mountains."

"She's...?" Vincent lapsed into silence. By now Zack had stopped, thinking it seemed rather inappropriate to continue laughing at the image he had conjured into his head, no matter how ridiculous it looked.

Finally, the former Turk nodded to Cloud. "Thank you." He said shortly. Without further ado, he straddled the chocobo, and it began heading towards the mountain range. Short and simple goodbye, but the First Class had the feeling they'd see him once again.

Then Zack stared at the retreating figure, a grin tugging at his lips. Hell, _that_ looked way more amusing than what he had thought!

And for the next few hours, Cloud and Tifa had to deal with the sounds of their resident First Class snorting away behind them.

* * *

Every limb felt weighed down with lead.

He should have suspected – this was _Hojo_ for crying out loud.

Even as he blinked rapidly to clear the fog from his vision, he could feel the restraints. They strapped him securely to the table, but he knew they wouldn't be able to hold him for long.

_What the hell did Hojo _do_ to me?_ He scowled inwardly, and was incensed by how much the drugs affected his rational thinking. He knew he had to get free, but for some reason he just couldn't _care_ enough to.

He lifted his head, eyes half-lidded and glazed as he struggled for clarity.

"Specimen C-2 has awakened." Hojo's slick voice drifted over to him. It felt as though his ears were blocked, and any noise was heard distantly. "The time Specimen C-2 has been asleep is approximately thirty two hours. The advanced tranquilizer is potent in its dosages, yet Specimen C-2 has already overcome the expected five day unconsciousness the tranquillizer was supposed to inflict. Further observation is required." There was a click that sounded suspiciously like a tape recorder. Yep, Hojo definitely loved the sound of his own voice.

"So you've finally awakened." There was the sound of approaching footsteps – his hearing was getting sharper by the second already.

"Yes, and didn't we agree to _not_ restraining me?" Cloud asked in a dangerous tone. He was desperately staving off the paranoia and claustrophobia that was assaulting him; it took a lot of willpower to not go into a wild panic. He did _not_ like labs, and being restrained, with Hojo in front of him no less, was not good for his mentality.

However, this time was different. He needed to show Hojo who was boss, and sinking into a panic attack was not the way to go.

"It seemed like an appropriate action at the time." Hojo's tone was clipped, and he smiled coldly down at Cloud.

_Tch, I can't wait until I-_

For a moment, Cloud paused. Why not act on his desires? At least for a little while.

Immediately, the blonde ripped out of his restraints. The scientist didn't look surprised at the action, but his eyes _did_ widen when Cloud grabbed him by the throat and held him against the wall roughly.

"I don't think you understand _fully_ of what I am capable of." Cloud hissed. Unbeknown to him, his vivid blue irises became a burning gold. Lips pulled back in a snarl, it was probably one of the most terrifying things to be subjected to in this world.

Unfortunately for Cloud, Hojo was used to terrifying. He glared right back, even as he was struggling for breath. "I am the greatest scientist on the _Planet_. No one else can compare to my skill! Where else do you think you can receive the help you have asked of me? I am the only one superior enough to do it! Don't think you can _threaten_ me so easily." Hojo said right back, mockery dripping from his tone.

Then again, Cloud wasn't going to be cowed. Not this time.

"And I am a _WEAPON_. One of the _Planet's_ defences. I am more powerful than you can even _dream_. I can kill you in more than a _thousand ways_, and I can bring you back from the brink of _death_ just as easily. Even if you don't co-operate, there _is_ another way for me to get what I want. I have back-up plans, _Hojo_, and _you_ aren't in them." Cloud stepped back, panting harshly as he let him go. His eyes faded back to blue.

The scientist didn't respond, but this was the angriest Cloud had seen him. Hojo's eyes were pinpricks of black; fury practically _radiated_ from his form.

"Fine." Hojo spat, "but you will _regret_ this." With that, he stormed off.

Cloud smirked, calming down considerably. He was sure Hojo wouldn't pull a stunt like that again, but that incident felt particularly relieving.

He sat back on the metal bed, lying back on it with both his hands behind his head.

Needless to say, he was in a happier mood for the rest of the day.

* * *

She had to stop by the church just before exiting Midgar.

It always was a calming place for her, and she needed to feel at peace. For a moment, she cast away the things she had learned from her thoughts. They brought on too much inner turmoil, and it would be brought up later on. But for now, she wanted to listen to the Planet.

And she was just kneeling down to pray when a large crash interrupted her.

She coughed lightly as the dust swirled around her. Waving her hands, she was glad that most of the debris didn't land entirely on the flowers. In fact, a familiar person did instead.

He wore a red coat, and as he got up slowly, groaning, she saw that he was wielding a red sword as well. He looked familiar; maybe she had met him once or twice...?

And what was with people falling into the church and landing on her flowers?

Nevertheless, she started forward to ask if he was okay. She hardly took a step forward before a figure came flying down from the hole in the roof, the ridiculously long sword swooping down at the red man.

"I said I would push you out of the window, didn't I?" The second person to arrive said smugly, and raised his sword to strike-

"Stop!" Aeris said loudly, starting forward. Her hands were clasped nervously in front of her chest as she looked at the two newcomers imploringly. "Please don't fight on top of the flowers! Go somewhere else if you have to battle!"

For a whole minute, the two stared at her even as their swords were raised at each other. She fidgeted nervously.

Wait, now she recognised them. Weren't they the other First Class' that were friends with Zack...?

"Sephiroth! Genesis!" Yet _another_ figure dropped from the sky, landing in a crouch. At least Aeris recognised this person straight away, however.

"Angeal?" She asked hesitantly. The dark-haired man straightened, looking at her in surprise.

"Good afternoon, Aeris. I apologise for my comrade's behaviour. They got a little carried away..." At this, he gave a scathing glare at the other two. They had the decency to look a little ashamed, but that quickly disappeared.

"So you're Aeris, right? Zack's girl?" Genesis asked, a little crudely.

Indignation shot up in her, but she pushed it down. Manners above antagonising.

Before she could answer, Sephiroth rolled his eyes at Genesis, sheathing his sword. "Play nice for a lady. You can't even do that?" He turned to Aeris, and she felt an irrational bout of fear flash through her.

_This_ was the man who had killed her, in that other timeline. He had killed her and... she shook her head inwardly. No, he was not the same person, and if things went the way they were meant to, he never would be. So she pushed down her terror, and gave him a warm smile.

He gave a curt nod. "It's good to finally meet you. Zack has talked a lot about you."

Aeris inclined her head back. "Yes, Zack seems to hold you all in high regard as well, especially his mentor. I've heard a lot about your exploits."

"Pup does love to boast. How are you? Last I saw you were knocked out..." Angeal said, looking genuinely concerned for her.

Aeris shrugged, beaming gratefully at him. "I'm fine. I didn't get hurt at all."

Angeal nodded, returning the smile faintly. "That's good." It faded as he turned towards the other two. "But enough mucking around, you two. We have to go. It was good seeing you again, Aeris."

The brunette waved a hand. "Yeah... hey, you aren't going to hunt down Cloud, are you?" She asked hesitantly. The other three froze at that.

Genesis was the first to recover. "Why not?" He asked flippantly. "He did hurt you, didn't he?"

Aeris shook her head immediately. "It was nothing like that! He... he just appeared in front of me, and I only touched his cheek..."

"Touching his cheek, huh?" The redhead smiled wickedly, but his silver-haired comrade brushed him off.

"He 'appeared' in front of you? So you were there when he first arrived then? What happened exactly?" Sephiroth asked firmly. He took on a no nonsense tone, and it seemed like his entire stance had changed.

_They think he's a threat_, Aeris realised. Well, of course they would, but couldn't they see that Cloud was just a little... lost? She knew he attacked them, but he hadn't killed them. And from what she knew of him, he just needed to know the _truth_.

"It... he just appeared." She said lamely. "He wasn't awake at the time, so I decided to see if he was alright."

A thought occurred to her. Maybe she could tell these three also...? They could rendezvous up at Kalm and sort the problem there. Hopefully there wouldn't be any unwelcome visitors. Besides, she could use their help, in one way or another.

"Listen, I'm going to be travelling to Kalm. I'm meeting up with Zack there."

"Zack?" Angeal turned to her sharply. "Where is he now?"

Aeris blinked at the sudden intensity aimed at her. She could almost feel the worry radiating off of him, and had to be thankful that Zack had such great friends to look after him.

"I think he's making his way from Nibelheim. We were planning to meet up at Kalm."

Sephiroth thought about it, then nodded. "Okay, then we shall accompany you to Kalm. Did Zack tell you anything else?"

Aeris hesitated. Would it be better to tell them now or wait?

Genesis seemed to notice, and he yawned visibly. "Can we just start moving now? I'm sure we can clear everything up in Kalm." The other two nodded, and Aeris sighed in relief.

As they moved out of the church, she thought she heard a faint whisper from the Planet follow her.

_Look after... our Citrine WEAPON..._

* * *

**A/N: I feel that this chapter was a bit... off.**

**Also, I noticed a lot of confusion happening. I guess that _was_ what I was aiming for, but if you want me to clear up any points I've laid down so far, just ask.**

**Anyways, the incentive still stands. Almost to fifty - I'll send a PM to the person who is the fiftieth reviewer.**

**So, review if you please.**

**P.S.: As you may have noticed, Cloud and Hojo have a _tad_ bit of an issue with each other. I'm sure you all love that tidbit of information thrown at you.**

**As for Cloud's WEAPON name, I didn't want to be cliche and use Golden, though, admittedly, that does sound more fashionable.**


	11. Suspicions

**Sinner**

* * *

Chapter Nine: Suspicions

Insanity could never disable the base human instinct.

And Cloud's instinct was telling him that something was wrong. Something was wrong, and he wasn't sure what that was.

He honestly hated it.

He knew he didn't have trustworthy memories, but what else could he believe? He hadn't been told anything else by anyone, and the people who could have were already gone.

But...

Had there been anyone at all?

Had his own universe been a figment of his imagination? Had he just been _created_? In the moment just before he appeared in the church?

Sure he had doubts, but it wasn't like there was a place for him here. Especially with his existing counterpart.

So he continued with his plan, not giving a thought to what a certain last Cetra may have known.

Yet even if he did, would that have changed anything?

* * *

It normally takes two days to get to Kalm.

Aeris walked in front of the three SOLDIERs, holding her staff with ease. She didn't hear any conversation behind her, but didn't mind. It seemed that whenever Genesis and Sephiroth talked to each other, they began fighting.

Hopefully, they wouldn't start an impromptu battle six hours before they reached Kalm.

"Genesis, you're walking too close to me." Sephiroth's deadpan voice floated to her, and she had to inwardly face palm.

She'd just jinxed it, didn't she?

In reply to the silver-haired man, the redhead snorted. "Tch, you're the one who moved closer to me. Getting into your personal space would make me diseased."

"Hmph, scared of a little sickness? Or maybe just scared in general?"

"Shut up, Sephiroth. At least _I_ don't have girly hair like yours."

"That reminds me. You burnt my hair. You _burnt_ half an _inch_ off my hair."

"Hah! Are you afraid of being less girly?"

"I spent the better part of _twenty years_ growing this out, Genesis. In fact, I may just take revenge for the three months you just shaved off."

"Bring it."

"Gladly."

And then began the furious clashing of swords.

Aeris turned, and wondered whether to stop them or not. Genesis had already jumped back, throwing waves of fireballs at Sephiroth. His opponent just cut through them, and lunged at the redhead with his sword swooping in a deadly arc.

Suddenly, Angeal was beside her, making her squeak in surprise. He put a hand on her shoulder. "We should probably move." There was a faint smile on his face as he gazed at his two best friends. "They've probably held back from fighting the whole time I was away most likely. We might as well let them go at it."

Aeris nodded, though she felt uncertain. Still, Angeal knew them both better than her, and if he deemed it alright then it probably was.

"We'll be going on ahead!" Angeal called casually to his two fighting comrades. Genesis merely grunted in reply while dodging a particularly vicious slash of Masamune. Sephiroth uttered back calmly, "Fine", and continued his offence against his opponent.

"They'll catch up later." The SOLDIER told her as they walked off at a normal pace. There was no hurry – Zack and the others would take at least a week to reach Kalm.

Aeris fidgeted as the silence was stretched out between them. "So what did you go on holiday for?" She finally asked.

Angeal cast a surprised glance at her, then looked amused. "So Pup told you that I was on vacation? That was supposed to be a secret." He chuckled but waved a hand at Aeris' expression. "Oh, don't worry. It's not that classified. It had been Sephiroth and Genesis to force me onto vacation leave, after all." His tone was wistful.

Aeris tilted her head slightly, curiosity rising in her. She didn't know much about the relationship between the three of these SOLDIER Firsts, but she definitely admired how strong it was. For a moment, she was overcome by grief at how it had turned out in the other timeline. It was tragic how it had turned out, and it was lucky for this universe that the degradation hadn't happened. It was ironic, because Hojo himself had decided to take charge of the Project concerning Angeal and Genesis when they had been little. Shortly beforehand, Hollander had disappeared and no one had ever found his body.

Honestly, Aeris had wondered what Genesis and Angeal would have done when confronted with the insane Sephiroth. Never would she actually wish to see it, though. That tragedy had already happened one time too many.

She turned her attention back to Angeal. "You were overworking yourself?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I think they just wanted to get rid of me." The SOLDIER grinned crookedly, and it reminded Aeris eerily of how Zack smiled.

"Why?"

"It's... huh, after a few things came to light, they probably saw how affected I was by it." He shrugged, "Even though they didn't know what it was, they tried to put me away on vacation to help, in a way. I guess it did, but I would have liked to spend time with them more." His tone was thoughtful.

Aeris nodded. She was curious as to what that something was that had bothered Angeal, but was tactful enough not to ask. Instead, she went ahead with a different question. "Do you think they knew?"

"Hm?"

"About you wanting to spend time with them?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Sometimes they're both hard to read, even Genesis when he wants to." He smiled suddenly, and Aeris felt a grin pulling at her lips too. This was the first time Aeris had ever seen him smile so... genuinely. More so than the small smiles he mostly gave.

"But I don't mind if they don't know I want to. As long as they have each other to lean on, that's all I really hope will last."

Aeris was touched by his words, even if they weren't directed at her. They meant that much to Angeal? Then their friendship was as strong as she thought, if not even stronger, if his words were anything to go by. So if either one of them was there when Sephiroth was being pushed to the brink of insanity, or even already insane, could that alternate universe been saved?

An idea festered in her mind, but immediately it seemed impossible. But was it? With the help of the Planet...

"Heads up." Angeal suddenly warned. Aeris' eyes widened upon an odd shaped creature. It's was darkly discoloured, and the facial features were indiscernible, but could vaguely be reminiscent to a human face. Even the arms were crooked and seemingly broken, yet the legs seemed to be perfectly muscled. It's torso seemed to be pulsing with an unearthly glow, a shade close to a sick green.

Yet in the middle was a clearly distinctive mark.

It was purely white, and the symbol itself was of freedom. At least, that was what Aeris interpreted it to be – it looked like the outline of a hawk, spreading its wings to fly.

Beside her, Angeal cursed and moved in front of her protectively. "Get back," He said firmly, "These things are unpredictable. They first arrived six years ago – you've heard of them, right?"

Aeris nodded shakily, keeping her eyes on the beast in front of them. "Yeah, Zack mentioned them once. They're coming back again then?"

Zack _had_ mentioned them once or twice since some of his missions involved the weird beings. There had been an odd outbreak of them six years ago, but abruptly they had stopped with no explanation. Aeris had never met with one face-to-face before, but they looked _terrifying_.

"Seems like it." Angeal answered grimly, and unsheathed his sword. Aeris thought it was odd how he didn't use the huge one on his back, but didn't comment on it.

"Why did this have to happen so soon?" Aeris' head jerked towards the SOLDIER. Had Angeal whispered that? Did he know something?

Before she could think any further on it, a screaming cry tore through her head, and she winced visibly. Angeal cast a concerned glance back at her, but had to concentrate on other matters when the creature leapt at him.

Aeris turned her attention inwards, trying to decipher the constant stream of pure _thought_ being blasted into her head. But one thing jumped out at her. One thing she could understand, and she shivered at the prospect of it.

_CALAMITY-!_

And as if in response to the accusation, the monster gave an ear-piercing shriek and charged at her instead.

* * *

"So... what have you been up to, Tifa?"

Zack snickered under his breath, but kept up his pretence of strolling along nonchalantly. He walked in front of the other two in an attempt to give them _some_ kind of privacy as they reacquainted themselves with each other. However, he wasn't below eavesdropping, especially when it concerned Cloud's _girlfriend_ of all people. Well, the blonde didn't know he had a girlfriend yet, but he would eventually.

Still, it was good to know how the relationship was going.

_Come on, Spike! Lighten up! Be confident, girl's love it!_ Zack grinned in remembrance of his flirtatious days before meeting Aeris. Now _those_ were some wicked times – not that Aeris wasn't anymore awesome, of course, which she was, but...

Zack decided not to pursue that chain of thought any longer and went back to eavesdropping.

"I've just been helping Papa do his job, and... well, martial arts. You remember Zangan, right? He was visiting when you were last... here." Her voice sounded hesitant.

"Oh." Cloud replied awkwardly, and Zack wanted to shake him. _The girl's right there! Come on, Spike! Snag her!_

"I... that sounds great?" The blonde said, his sentence lilting into a question.

Tifa huffed quietly. "It wasn't... because I didn't see you."

_OOOHH,_ Zack almost screamed in frustration. As it was, he tripped slightly as he walked, but he didn't think the other two noticed. _Go for it, Spiky! She just opened the path for you-! Get in there and-!_

He could almost imagine Cloud going bright red at the statement as he stammered out." R-really? Why would you think that?"

_NO, SPIKE, NO_, Zack mourned inwardly, _SHE GAVE YOU THE PERFECT OPENING! AND YOU ASK_ WHY?!

"Why?" For a moment, Tifa sounded incredulous. Zack cried to himself inside, _you lost her, Spiky!_

However, Tifa seemed to focus on something else. "Hey, Cloud, do you remember our promise yet?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I do." Cloud sounded bewildered and hesitant. Zack remembered the words not matching up – the promise Cloud recalled and the promise Tifa spoke of. It was weird but surely there was a misunderstanding...?

One of the two steady footsteps stopped, and Zack turned around to see that Tifa had halted. Her fists were clenched tightly, and she was frowning that familiar frown again. It was as if she recognised him, but didn't at the same time. Zack tensed, feeling apprehension. What was she planning? Or even _thinking_?

Cloud paused too, facing Tifa with a confused expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

"What was the promise, Cloud?" Her voice sounded distantly angry, but Zack couldn't entirely pinpoint why.

Neither could the blonde, it seemed. "The promise? Tifa, why are you-?"

"Cloud, please. Tell me what we promised each other that night or else..." And suddenly she was getting out her gloves and pulling them on with a steady grace.

"Or else I'll have to believe you aren't _my _Cloud!"

* * *

**A/N: ****As you can see, I am a complete sucker for Sephiroth's, Genesis' and Angeal's friendship. The Crisis Core OST song 'The Price of Freedom' gives me so many damn feels about those three.**

**And I seem to have made a potential sub-plot about Angeal... apologies about that. It just randomly sprung up in my head and I decided to go along with it, no matter how many contradictions will be added to the list.**

**Also, I'd like to take this time to shamelessly advertise a one-shot AR I posted up a few days ago. Check it out if you're interested.**

**As always, reviews are fuel for inspiration and very much appreciated.**

**P.S.: As you can probably see, the 50th reviewer has been reached. However, the incentive is still on for the 100th reviewer... and is this incentive even working? Whatever the case, it gives me an idea of what to write about for the Interludes of this story.**


	12. Changing

**Sinner**

* * *

Chapter Ten: Changing

Was it normal for insane people to be strongly dizzy, if only briefly? Was it normal for them to experience pure _thought_ pressing into their skull at every angle?

For a moment, Cloud wondered when he had _accepted_ the fact that he was not altogether sane. Maybe when he had made a deal with Hojo, of all people? The guy _had_ tortured him, after all. It was madness _not_ to kill him on the spot.

So did that make him sane after all?

But the intense wave of vertigo hit him again, and he buckled slightly on the gurney. His train of thought was practically _disintegrated_ by the sudden and extreme _force_ that penetrated his mind yet again.

_WEAPON, WEAPON, WEAPON-!_

_Stop it! Stop the-!_

_Cloud? Why didn't-?_

Dimly, Cloud was aware of a blob of white in his peripheral vision. Who was that?

"Specimen C-2 seems to be expressing strange symptoms."

_Come, your Planet is-_

_Sweet, sweet, WEAPON. Where are you now-?_

_Protect! Annihilate it!_

_I've come back~_

"Symptoms include perspiration, short breath, and glowing eyes the colour of gold. Further observation is needed. Specimen C-2 also seems to be in pain; the source of this apparent agony seems to be within the cranial area."

_The Cetra! Danger!_

_You shouldn't have come back-_

_Where do you have to go, _Cloud?

_What? You thought you were a hero?_

_A joke._

_WEAPON!_

"Two theories are probable. Theory One; since Specimen C-2 has been tested for possible mental impairments that have been proven positive, it's likely Specimen C-2's damaged state of mind is the cause of this. Schizophrenia is one of the likely causes for this fit, as well as PTSD."

_"Hey, Cloud! Come one! You have to promise! Please?"_

_..._

_"Haha, you have such spiky hair! How do you get it to stay like that?"_

_..._

_"Stay happy, okay? I don't like seeing you so sad! Forgive yourself, ne?"_

_Wait._

_"I can't stand it. I want to help you! Let me help you, Cloud!"_

_CALAMITY-!_

_"Don't you want to be happy?"_

_That was a false memory, _Cloud_. _

_Don't listen-!_

_That sentence was spoken by someone you hadn't even _met_. _

_Stop that!_

_Surely you would be an expert on made-up realities by now, right?_

_My son-_

_Even if you weren't aware of it._

_What?_ Cloud couldn't comprehend this. The stream of _thought_ was flowing relentlessly into his mind. He just wanted it to _end_.

"Theory Two; it is also likely that the Planet _itself_ is communicating with the subject. As Specimen C-2 has explained, he is a WEAPON, created by the Planet itself to be one of its living defences. While this may have been woven falsely as a fantasy, a fact supported by the positive test on the subject's mental stability, there are also the factors of the subject's abilities and strengths. Subject maintains a high amount of energy, and the immune system and natural physical defences are beyond human capability. There is also the case of Specimen C-2's glowing eyes-"

Cloud couldn't _stand_ it. He managed to look up at the white blob – _Hojo_, his mind vaguely identified – and glared coldly.

"_End it._" He hissed at the scientist. "End it _now._"

And underlying his venomous tone was a distant, yet desperate plea for help.

* * *

Cloud turned suddenly. Zack's wary eyes were momentarily distracted from Tifa by the blonde's movements.

If he could guess, he'd say that Cloud had turned back in the direction of Nibelheim, but he wasn't too sure. Tifa herself looked confused as well, but kept her practised battle stance.

Zack moved forward, reaching out to touch Cloud on the shoulder. "You alri-?" He stifled a gasp as he came into view of the blonde's facial features.

His eyes were glazed and for a terrifying moment, Zack was worried _those_ episodes came back. But what freaked him out the most were Cloud's irises – they were glowing faintly. And not with the familiar Mako light that Zack had slowly grown accustomed to, but an almost fiery gold.

"Cloud...?" Zack asked, worry highly apparent in his tone. What the hell was going on now? Did it have something to do with Nibelheim itself? Or maybe... maybe there was a connection with his counterpart that was only just showing now?

Yet why was Cloud looking towards Nibelheim?

Suddenly, it felt hard to breathe.

"We should keep moving." Zack said quickly, tugging Cloud along even as the blonde just stumbled after him blankly.

"What? No way!" Tifa stood her ground, her stance relaxing slightly. "What's wrong with Cloud? Why is he acting so weird?" She demanded, though her eyes shone with concern for her friend – even if she did suspect him to be someone else.

"Later." Zack said firmly, and his tone was enough to move her. "Later, we'll tell each other everything."

And behind him, Cloud's expression fell into despair.

* * *

Aeris held up her staff, trying to recover quickly from her shock. The monster was advancing on her fast – almost too fast!

From far away, the face of this creature could have been mistaken for indiscernable. But up close, Aeris had to acknowledge the vague, _humanoid_ features of the monster, and even then, _it had no face_.

Only a gaping mouth with large, pointed teeth – teeth that were aiming straight for her neck.

Even as she began to charge up a Thundaga, she knew it wouldn't be on time to stop the attack.

"No!"

Suddenly, Angeal was in front of her, shielding them with his sword. Up close now, Aeris vaguely realised that some rust lined the edges of the Buster Sword on his back.

She shook the thoughts out of her head. Now wasn't the time for such idleness! Hurriedly, she finished casting Thundaga, spurred on by the pained grunts of Angeal as he attempted to keep the vicious teeth at bay.

Finally, the spell came into effect, judging by the wave of exhaustion that fell over her. In the back of her mind, she wholeheartedly regretted not practising her spell casting for a long while. However, she managed to pull Angeal back as several bolts of lightning struck the monster. It let out a roar of outrage, but Aeris cast Thundaga again and again, ignoring the extreme dizziness that assaulted her.

When the final flash of lightning subsided, burnt flesh permeated the air, and Aeris gagged on the smell. She backed away from the monster as it keeled over and lay still.

There was silence.

Aeris stared at the fallen creature, and asked after a few tense moments. "Angeal... do you know where they came from?"

"No." The First Class answered quickly. Unbidden, suspicion curled its way around Aeris' mind. As if realising his mistake, Angeal backtracked.

"Actually..." He relented, hesitation clear in his voice as he attached his sword to his back again. "I know the person who created them. Ah, _knew_ anyways."

"Knew?" Aeris examined his face as he finally turned to look at her. His eyes were guarded, his expression clear of any emotions.

"Professor Hollander." Angeal admitted after a short moment, and Aeris sensed that was all he was going to say on the matter.

She decided not to push it, as fogged as her mind was with exhaustion. Besides, she was keeping things from him too. Hopefully, everything would be cleared in Kalm.

"Let's go, then." The brunette gave him a tired smile, and made to move. Surprise laced up her as her legs gave way. Angeal immediately dashed forward, catching her and holding her gingerly.

"You rest." He told her firmly, and proceeded to manoeuvre her prone form onto his back.

Aeris would have replied, but she was already fast asleep.

* * *

"Here. We'll rest here." Zack said, still holding tightly onto Cloud's arm. He knew he was holding on too tightly, but there was a nagging feeling he was going to lose his friend.

He didn't want that to happen again.

Zack glanced at Cloud when he halted, inwardly sighing with relief that the blonde's eyes had stopped glowing. Instead, he just seemed bewildered.

Tifa had followed more slowly, caution in every step she took toward them. Finally, she stopped a few metres away from them. Her expression was drawn into a frown, an expression that Zack saw on her far too often.

"Sit down." Zack chided, and did so himself, crossing his legs easily. He pulled Cloud down with him, placing him beside him. This action seemed to wake the blonde up, and he scowled at Zack.

Even so, the First Class could see sadness present within those blue eyes, even though they were glowing eerily caused by the presence of Mako.

_So he is keeping something from me_, Zack concluded, though he wasn't happy at the revelation at all. Cloud trusted him, didn't he?

A sinking feeling appeared in his stomach.

Tifa hesitated a moment longer before coming to join them. However, she sat in a position that allowed her to defend at any time. Her mistrust was clear, but what caused it Zack was still unsure about.

He briefly looked up. The sun was going to set soon; he'd have to set up a few tents to make camp, but decidedly after everything was sorted. They couldn't travel together like this or even function as a team to fight off any monster they came across.

"Okay, you go first." Zack nodded to Tifa. She stiffened at that, but agreed with a slight incline of her head.

"I don't exactly know what's going on, but I do know one thing: my memory is the real thing." She started, carefully keeping her tone level. "The promise between me and Cloud... I really believed it happened."

"It did happen." Cloud interjected quietly, and they made eye contact, holding each other's gazes steadily. "Only, we remember different versions of it."

Tifa broke away first, looking resolutely at the ground in front of her. "I made you promise me not to leave me behind." She finally said quietly. "I knew... I knew that you were drifting further away from me, Cloud. I knew that someday you wouldn't see me as a friend anymore. You were growing stronger." She shook her head.

"I would never leave you behind!" Cloud said firmly, and Tifa looked up at him, uncertain. "I have and always will consider you my friend! I wouldn't abandon you so eagerly."

"Not just in that way." The dark-haired woman sighed. "I thought you'd think me weak – that you'd leave me behind to try and protect. Even though all I ever really wanted was to be with you, and to be able to support you where I could. I was afraid that I'd somehow drag you down, so I trained harder when you left for Midgar."

Cloud didn't say anything, and Tifa nodded her acknowledgement of the silence. "See? Just like I said, you would try to protect me; you'd think that I would get hurt if I got involved. That's why I had to make you promise not to leave me. I want to help you, Cloud, not be the damsel in distress."

There was a moment as both Zack and Cloud processed this. The former decided to keep out of this – clearly it had been a rather defining moment in their relationship.

The blonde stayed silent for a moment longer before folding his arms. "What I remember is entirely different." He said slowly. "You made me promise to come and rescue you whenever you were in a bind." He smiled slightly at the memory, but it disappeared a second later. "You said you wanted to experience that at least once."

Tifa lifted her hand to brush back her bangs delicately, confusion apparent on her face. "I... I honestly had no thoughts of that during the night by the well. What-?"

"I think," Zack cut in, his apprehension growing, "Cloud should say his piece now, if you don't mind." The bad feeling was growing in him, and he suddenly wasn't so sure of everything anymore. If this Cloud had different memories than this Tifa, then...?

No, he had to have more information. He turned to his blonde friend, noting the tenseness that took a hold of his lithe figure.

Cloud took a deep breath, as if mentally preparing himself for what was to come. Zack waited, thinking with all his might to the blonde.

_It's fine, Spiky. Come on, you can tell us! I won't judge or anything, but I suppose I am confused as to why you haven't said anything beforehand. Still, what you know isn't _too_ horrible, is it?_

He could see Cloud visibly trying to chase away all emotion out of his face as he looked both Zack and Tifa in the eye, one after the other.

"Do you guys promise not to think I'm crazy?" He asked hesitantly.

Bewildered, Tifa and Zack looked at each other before gazing back at Cloud, nodding in agreement. This seemed to put Cloud at ease, if only slightly.

"Okay, well..." The blonde's hand reached up to scratch the back of his head. "I've time travelled."

Silence.

Zack could almost hear the crickets chirp.

As for himself, he could only gape. _TIME TRAVEL?_

Well, that made sense. Cloud had suddenly gained such ageless and wisdom-y eyes in such a short amount of time, leaving the First Class to be befuddled by it without any explanation. But then, at what age did Cloud come back into? _Had_ it been during his time with Zack? Or beforehand? Before the promise with Tifa in explanation of that event altering?

Tifa merely stared. She was shocked, that was to be understood, yet she adopted a look of pure confusion.

"When... when did you appear? Or jump back into your body? Or whatever you call it?" Zack stumbled over the sentences, his mind still trying to conjure up numerous reasons as to how, why, and _when_.

Cloud smiled, though it was empty. Inwardly, Zack shivered at the look. Had the blonde acquired that expression after or _before_ he had time travelled?

"During our third mission together; you, me and two other troopers had to go and investigate the monsters that were originating from Banora." He shook his head, "Now _that_... that confused me. Back in the world I had come from, there was no Banora. As far as I remember, Banora was destroyed by an airstrike by Shinra."

Zack frowned, "Airstrike? Were they... trying to cover something up?"

Cloud nodded, which made Zack's lip curl in disgust. "Yeah, but no one was left alive in that town anyway."

The First Class shook his head. "Still, they eliminated _all evidence_. It's... such a Shinra thing to do. I doubt they would've cared if there had been anyone left anyway." He cocked his head, frowning. "Wait, Angeal and Genesis grew up there. Why was it...?"

"Long story." The blonde said. "But the fact that Banora is still standing before I came back is a surprise. And the promise with Tifa is different too..." He cast a curious glance at Tifa, and she shrugged.

"Maybe someone else has time travelled too?" Zack offered haphazardly, though his thoughts were still on Banora, and what else could have possibly happened for Cloud to _time travel_, of all things.

"Can't be." Cloud said, frowning once again. "I think I..." Distress shone in his expression, and he ran a hand through his bangs.

"What?" Zack asked, leaning forward. "What's wrong?"

"I think I could have time travelled into an alternate universe instead." He answered shakily.

* * *

**A/N: The 'winner' for the incentive is _Thunder Of Friendship_. Their requested one-shot will be the interlude that I will post next. Normally the scene I will be writing up wouldn't have been written, but I guess it will be after all. Should be fun.**

**If the review count gets up to 100, then the 100th reviewer can choose the next scene to be written. Same conditions as the last incentive. I'm still confused as to whether this offer actually works... does it at all?**

**As always, reviews are appreciated.**

**Also, I'd like to thank the people who have reviewed so far:**

**- _noodlepower, Irish-Brigid, Thunder Of Friendship, Kagami Kamiya, SapphyreMyst, LadyChaos1011, 'Guest', SymphonyOfDestruction, kit572, 'Nitro', JenesisX, chibipinkbunny, 'tolazytologin', Dark Hikari Twilight, Skiestrife, findthetiger129, spiel, saster123, HazzaTL3, exaigon, Mreaca, 'Hahnflower', 'wolfawaken', 'KHGiggle', AngelsOnTheMoon98, skywright._**


	13. Interlude II: Incident (part one)

**Sinner**

* * *

Interlude II: Incidents (part one)

It had been cramped in the helicopter.

No, _worse_ than cramped. If anything, it was _humiliatingly_ and _annoyingly_ cramped.

"Genesis, kindly remove your rear from my lap."

"Tch, I would, but you won't stop digging your knee into my back!"

"You do know how much room a helicopter allows, right? I can't help the lack of space to actually _move_-!"

"Yow! _Seph_! Could you not move just an _inch_ to your left? You are _waaay_ too close to the family jewels!"

"Family jewels, pup? Didn't know you had them, much less used them."

"Genesis, you're such a dick!"

"You have no idea."

At the front of the helicopter, Cloud was infinitely grateful he hadn't been stuck in the back seat with those three. _How _exactly they had gotten into such tangled positions was completely beyond him.

"I'll be dropping you off and then leaving." The unknown Turk beside him informed casually, despite the ruckus in the back. "Just give us a call when you all want to be picked up again."

Cloud nodded, "Thanks."

He looked out the window; already the Nibelheim mountains were getting closer by the second. He wondered inwardly what he would do with Tifa. Should he greet her? Or just leave it like he had before? Only, this time, he wouldn't allow her to get hurt. _Never again_, he told himself firmly.

Suddenly, there was a high pitched, short-lived scream. The blonde jumped, his heart skipping a beat. He twisted around in his seat, confused as to how the sound had originated.

In the back, the other males were frozen.

"That wasn't me!" Zack said quickly, holding his hands up awkwardly due to the position he was in, wedged in tightly between Sephiroth and Genesis.

The redhead's eyes were wide from the sound. "Definitely not me!" He said, almost defensively when Cloud turned his eyes on him.

Everyone turned to Sephiroth.

The silver-haired man's eyes narrowed in distaste. "You _really_ think I could make such a pitiful noise?"

Silence.

"Nevermind that." The Turk flying the helicopter interrupted suddenly, voice uncomfortably loud in the awkward pause. "We're here."

* * *

As soon as the helicopter touched down, the three Firsts stumbled out. There was cursing on Genesis' end, smoothing his hair down on Sephiroth's end, and immediately squatting on Zack's. Cloud got out more slowly, stretching his body. The ride was way too long for comfort, and Cloud had to wonder how the other three had managed it, especially with such a cramped space.

Immediately, the Turk took off without saying anything, and the helicopter quickly disappeared over the mountains.

"Ugh," Zack groaned, "now I'm stuck with two old men!"

"I'm not-!" Genesis began to say, indignantly, but Zack quickly grabbed Cloud's arm like a lifeline, his eyes sparkling innocently.

"I think you're the only one I can trust!" The dark-haired First said mournfully to the blonde.

Cloud shook his head, chuckling. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Zack."

Sephiroth ran a hand slowly through a lock of his hair, working out the knots. "Zack has a point though, in a roundabout way. I have to wonder why Rufus Shinra sent three First Classes for a routine check-up." He mused dryly.

"He did say something about an unusual cluster of those new monsters gathering here, didn't he?" Cloud said quietly, adjusting his gun holstering. Absently, he mourned the loss of First Tsurugi, but he was glad to have a weapon all the same.

"Still," Genesis said loudly, sauntering forward, "I bet anyone of us could take at least a group of them singlehandedly." He paused, then shrugged. "Well, I'm sure I could at least."

"Let's just get this over and done with." Sephiroth said, suddenly looking irritated. He started striding towards Nibelheim, still over two hundred metres away.

Genesis grumbled, but followed suit. "Tch, damn Turk for making us walk... '_Pride is lost; wings stripped away...'_" He muttered the last part under his breath.

Zack casually followed after them, his hands resting at the back of his head. As Cloud walked past him quietly, he mused to his blonde friend.

"So we're going back to your hometown, huh? You gonna go say hi to your girlfriend?" He asked cheekily.

Cloud ran to catch up with him, scowling. "She's not my girlfriend! Tifa is my childhood friend, and only that!"

"Oooh, friendzoned, huh?" Zack snickered. "I wonder if she feels the same way about you?"

"That's none of your business." Cloud said stiffly, and his friend shrugged in defeat, dropping the subject. Barely a second later, he started talking again.

"You know, I have to wonder if both the Director's and his old man's deaths made Rufus a little crazy, considering he sent such an overpowered squad here." Zack said thoughtfully.

For a moment, Cloud was silent. Luckily, he knew, that wasn't entirely the case. He lifted his hands, looking down at them absently.

"I suppose he's just being careful." He answered slowly. _Huh, I wonder what Zack would think if he knew I'd been the one to kill them, _he thought, but pushed the notion to the back of his mind.

"Extremely careful." Zack announced, but didn't say anymore on the matter.

Inwardly, Cloud couldn't help feeling anxious. How would things turn out this time?

...Maybe he should've planned this out after all.

_Too late._

* * *

"This is your hometown, right? How does it feel to be back?" Sephiroth asked, turning around to face the blonde infantryman.

_Almost like last time_, Cloud acknowledged, still feeling fidgety about the whole thing. _Does that mean anything? _He couldn't help being fidgety under the imperious gaze of Sephiroth.

"You've missed it, right?" The silver-haired man continued vaguely, gesturing around him. "I wouldn't know. I've never had a hometown."

Chills ran down Cloud's spine. Damn it, maybe Sephiroth would always say that, no matter what the circumstances. At least the events following weren't inevitable.

Hope flashed in him when Genesis drawled out, stepping past Sephiroth. "Don't go all sentimental on us now."

However, that bit of light died when Zack piped up curiously. "What about your parents?"

Sephiroth seemed slightly taken aback. "My parents? Hmph, my mother's name was Jenova and my father..." He started laughing, but it lasted briefly. He shook his head. "Why am I even saying any of this? We should move on."

The apprehension grew again in Cloud, and was it him, or was it unbearably hot under this helmet? Maybe it was the fact that this conversation repeated itself in its entirety, almost exactly in the past. Since Cloud had relived this moment in his past so many times, he could see what bits had changed and what hadn't. However, the gist of the conversation was still the same, and it made him feel nauseous.

"Finally!" Genesis' voice cut through his reverie, sounding lazy. They moved after the redhead as he turned and went into the nearby inn to book rooms for them.

Sephiroth turned to the rest of them. "Get some rest. I shall stay up and keep watch, and see if we can't get a guide to take us through the mountains-"

"Wait!" Cloud interrupted hastily. Inwardly, he cursed himself for sounding so urgent. "I, uh, I will take us there." He amended, trying to recover the situation as well as ignore the looks he was getting from Sephiroth and Zack. "Remember? This is my home village. I know the way from here to the Reactor pretty well."

For a moment, Sephiroth sized the blonde up, considering his offer. Cloud kept his expression carefully blank, even though the other man couldn't even see under the helmet. Finally, the General nodded.

"Fine." He said shortly, then turned and walked off.

"... I think he likes you." Zack said, laughing nervously.

Cloud certainly hoped not.

* * *

The walk to the Reactor the day after was mostly silent. Even the photographer that wanted a photo near the ShinRa mansion had a noticeably dimmer excitement than last time. For this photo, however, Genesis was there instead of Tifa. Cloud had opted to stay out of it, feeling a silly notion that the photo was a moment too steeped into his own history that he didn't want to change it by placing himself in there.

Inwardly, Cloud wanted to get this mission done as soon as possible. He didn't want to trisk accidentally meeting Tifa. Although the whole extra week spent here because of Sephiroth finding out about his origins was crucial.

Cloud had a plan – albeit a flimsy one – involving Lucrecia Crescent, Sephiroth's mother. Even if that plan went wrong, Cloud still had Genesis on hand as a back-up to maintain the General's sanity. Even Angeal was alive, so surely nothing could go wrong.

As soon as he thought that, Cloud scowled to himself. Way to jinx it.

Now they were approaching the Reactor; Cloud in front, then Genesis and Sephiroth. Unlike before, the bridge hadn't collapsed on their way there, so they had to take a somewhat longer route. Cloud couldn't very well ask them all to randomly jump off the bridge, even if they would survive it. Even so, they were all wary of attack from any monsters, especially the new ones that had been sighted around this region.

It was a silent trip, but Cloud was glad for that all the same. It gave him more time to think up a contingency plan, possibilities, and even more back-up plans. His feet had been automatically guiding them towards their destination, so he almost missed it mentally when they'd arrived.

"Good work, Strife." Sephiroth commented absently, and took the lead, striding easily up the stairs. Though the blonde had a suspicion the General had other things on his mind, he was glad that he went first; this way he could keep an eye on him.

But even as they advanced into the Reactor, Cloud could sense right away something was wrong.

Even without the visual, he would've figured it out eventually, had he been paying any kind of attention to that particular part of himself. She'd been a vague presence in the back of his mind – constant, but not altogether dominant. In his past, whenever he got close to her, or even near a large concentration of her cells, a faint voice was always there. He'd always blocked it out and concentrated on other things, so it hadn't really bothered him much.

But then, this body was not affected by Jenova cells. It was both a comfort and damnation. In a way, Cloud could've used his connection with Jenova to try and find out where she was.

However, in this place, Jenova's absence was now painfully obvious.

Cloud had almost forgotten – he'd been concentrating on Sephiroth finding out about his heritage that the more simple solution was in plain sight.

Except not anymore. Not like it had been in the past. Where Jenova was usually housed in this Reactor, there was nothing there.

For a moment, Cloud began to panic, a similar feeling to the time he'd found himself in Banora when he first came into this world. He'd suspected that maybe some part of Jenova, a remnant perhaps, had tagged along with him and arrived before him long enough to change a few events. He knew that he had definitely chosen to time travel into his own past, so perhaps someone else had time travelled as well. Either that was the case or maybe...?

"Zack, close that valve." He heard Sephiroth command.

Cloud looked up, realising that they inspection had already begun. He tensed in mild alarm when Sephiroth approached one of the pods. Even from his vantage point on the platform, Cloud could see the monsters suspended inside.

He was almost glad that he was standing on an angle to be able to see Sephiroth's facial features. This way, he could at least try and read the feelings that spanned the man's mind.

Behind him, he vaguely realised that Genesis had decided to laze around instead of help. The redhead had decided to lean against the railing and start reading through his copy of Loveless again. Cloud had never really bothered with books, but then, the ways Loveless could be interpreted interested him.

"'_My friend, the fates are cruel, there are no dreams, no honour remains...'"_ Genesis quoted quietly, and the blonde couldn't help but tense. The faint chuckle he heard behind him told him that thre redhead had noticed, yet he didn't say anything.

Cloud directed his attention back to Sephiroth, feeling bemused but a part of him distantly agreed with the redhead.

The General still looked as blank as ever, however, his silver eyebrows had drawn together in a fraction of a frown.

He's realising it now, Cloud was sure. Yet his reaction was a whole lot calmer than initially. He tensed when Sephiroth's right hand clenched into a fist, tight even for the knuckles to turn white. Even from where he was, Cloud could see the burning sorrow, anger, and self-doubt, coiled but growing within the General's eyes.

That was his queue. Cloud moved, but suddenly Genesis was there, jumping forward gracefully. He strode leisurely towards Sephiroth, eyes still glued to his book. Cloud paused, and after a small debate inwardly, he decided to no intervene. Not if the situation required his interruption that is. Zack, already finished with his task, stood silently a few feet away from Sephiroth, observing the situation with an unreadable gaze.

"'_My soul, corrupted by vengeance...'"_ Genesis uttered softly. Once again, the guy had a talent for choosing the right words to go with the situation, and Cloud felt a weird respect for the redhead. "I think we're done here." He said clearly, laying a hand on Sephiroth's shoulder and snapping his book closed with the other.

Sephiroth tensed at the contact, and Cloud held his breath. For a moment, everything went deadly silent amidst the hum of the Reactor. Genesis was patient, staring calmly at the back of his friend's head. However, even that facade didn't conceal the alarm present in his eyes.

Finally, Sephiroth nodded stiffly, and Cloud breathed out a sigh of relief. The General turned and the blonde was surprised at how emotionless his features were. Genesis backed up, a smirk highlighting his expression, yet even he seemed relieved.

"I agree." Sephiroth answered monotonously, and strode past Genesis. He paused just before reaching Cloud, saying over his shoulder. "However, I think I shall remain here for a few days. I believe this was a successful check-up. You are all dismissed." With that, he strode away, jumping lithely up and disappearing into the shadows.

"He sure loves his dramatic exits." Zack commented dryly.

* * *

Unlike before, Cloud had free reign on whether to leave Nibelheim or stay. Since Sephiroth had dismissed them, they were no longer tied to the mission. What Cloud couldn't understand was the lack of monsters. Reports had said that a large cluster of the 'creatively' dubbed new monsters had been sighted in the mountains, yet why hadn't they been attacked by anything remotely resembling them?

The existence of these new monsters in and of itself was an alarming factor to Cloud. Never had he heard of them before, and it only enhanced his theory of someone else arriving in this timeline before him. Of course, the other case of him having been zapped into a completely _alternate_ timeline was possible...

He shook his head, jumping out of bed and doing a few quick stretches. He, along with Zack and Genesis had decided to remain in Nibelheim, all for the same reason – for Sephiroth. While the man had remained elusive, both Genesis and Zack were out looking for him while Cloud decided to stay low at the Inn in case the General came back.

However the blonde was, after two hours of waiting, fairly certain by midday that Sephiroth was in the mansion, though he wasn't entirely sure. With nothing else to do, he decided to go there.

Faced with this place, he couldn't help a shudder. This had been the beginning of his nightmares, and he'd never been too keen to go into this place more times than he had to. He shouldered away his uneasiness, and made his way to the secret passage. Along the way, he encountered the odd monsters that dwelled within the place. Unfortunately, Ribbon didn't carry along with him, and so got affected with Confuse several times.

However, the presence of them only alerted him to the fact that maybe Sephiroth hadn't come into this place after all, considering the many monsters present. If the General had been around, then there would be less activity by them.

Nevertheless, he continued down the circular ramp even though the theory that Sephiroth hadn't visited this place as of yet became more credible. The air was too stale for someone to had been wandering around inside recently, he knew, and even the stone door would have made much less noise.

Then where exactly had Sephiroth gone?

Despite that thought, his feet guided him further. AS he passed through the dank corridor towards the lab, he fingered the Fire Materia in his pocket. It wasn't even Mastered, or even linked, but it still provided some kind of defence if he couldn't aim and shoot his gun fast enough.

He halted at the basement door. Vincent was just beyond there.

For a moment, he considered going back upstairs and getting the key. He could still remember the combination, and maybe he could take on Lost Number if he found a sword. If he set Vincent free, then he'd have even more help, and also lead him to Lucrecia-

No.

He decided against it. If he awoke Vincent now, he wouldn't be able to get the man out of Nibelheim without the SOLDIER Firsts noticing. Cloud didn't want to subject Vincent to interrogation within the first hour of him waking up from a several decade long nap. Hopefully, Cloud would be able to visit Nibelheim at a later date, without any company.

_Later,_ he promised his old friend, and moved on.

As soon as he stepped into the lab, he couldn't help a shiver of revulsion at the sight of those familiar Mako tanks. Those had been the source of his nightmares for far too long; the never-ending pain as his body both rejected and absorbed Mako – pure _Lifestream_; and he would never forget the drowning sensation he'd been constantly kept captive under. His memories had returned to him slowly, and he knew that he had been half-conscious – it was an experience that was pure torture for him.

Suddenly, he wanted it all to just go away. Panic rose in his throat – he never could stand being in this place for too long. He just wanted to erase all that had happened and-

And, abruptly, there was fire.

Unconsciously, he'd activated his Fire Materia. Flames leapt to the shelves opposite him, and he jerked back in shock as the research caught fire quickly. Cloud cursed; he had wanted an end to this dark part of his past, and the Fire Materia had answered his wish. For a moment, he considered letting it burn, letting the fire consume the mansion, in a way purifying it if theology was anything to go by-

"Shit, Vincent!" He cursed under his breath. Immediately, he cancelled the energy he'd been feeding into the Materia, and the fire slowly began to die out. Finally, he had to step forward to beat out the last few sparks, and sighed in relief when the last of it went out.

Staring at the burnt research, it was no loss to him. He had no care for something that would probably disgust and horrify him. It was Hojo after all.

He shook his head, turning to leave. He didn't know why he went down here in the first place. It was fairly obvious Sephiroth wasn't here.

But there was one more thing he had to do.

He moved back, and headed towards the study, aiming for a fairly noticeable book. It didn't matter either way; Sephiroth would start reading everything in this place obsessively. Picking up a black leather bound book, he slipped a note in between the pages and tucked it in one of the bookshelves beside him. That done, he made his way out again.

It was a flimsy plan, but it was better than nothing. If that failed, then he could just tell Sephiroth himself, but he'd rather avoid confrontation.

_Hopefully he'll go_, Cloud thought.

Because inside that book he had placed the location of Lucrecia's cave.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to _Thunder Of Friendship_**

**While writing this, I kept on forgetting Angeal wasn't meant to be there. Ugh, if I missed editing him out... just know he wasn't there, okay?**

**It has been a while since I'd last updated. I'm finally running out of motivation for this story now. However, I'll try to do as much as I can before inspiration runs out. I don't like to sound tardy, but reviews do help.**

**I'm not sure whether to keep the incentive or not. I may stop it, I'll decide in the next chapter's A/N.**

**I will post up a part two to this incident sometime. Keep an eye out?**

**Anywho, reviews are always appreciated.**


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